A Spark in the Darkness - Part 2c - Destiny's Path - Redeeming Years
by Serina562
Summary: As the glowing embers of discontent flare up into violent rebellion, the young woman from Taanab finds herself just behind the front line as destiny unfolds before her eyes. DISCLAIMER: STAR WARS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, IT BELONGS TO GEORGE LUCAS, LUCASFILM, AND DISNEY. THANK YOU.
1. Prologue

**Prologue IV**

(8 ABY)

"Now take the last one and place it on top," Serina instructed her daughter, watching carefully over her newest attempt at completing the exercise. Dara sat cross-legged several feet away from her. Between them, a mid-sized pyramid had formed. The largest of the rocks was about half a meter in width and was hovering about a handbreadth above the beige foam-carpet that had been sprayed onto the floor of the rear portion of the backroom. The large couch, the oblong coffee table in front of it and the few sitting-pillows, that had once formed a cozy lounging corner, had been removed in favor of a large training room. The overhead light bathed the empty space in its warm light. It was already deep into the long _Taanabian_ night.

"Watch out! Don't let your concentration slip!" she advised her daughter when the top three rocks started a slight wobble. "Allow the Force to flow around them, caress them into place, steady the whole structure." For a moment, the top rocks stabilized, all six rocks forming a layered pyramid about one-and-a-half-meter high.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and Ben hurried into the room as fast as his little stubby legs would carry him. "Mommy, mommy, come quickly. Caaroq is back." As he flung himself into his mother's lap and wrapped his arms around her neck, Serina's attention was diverted from the rocky pyramid.

But only for an instant. "Mother," her daughter's anguished outcry brought it quickly back into focus. The bottom rock had tilted slightly in her direction with the other rocks above it starting to slide toward her. Although the effort of regaining her control over the wobbly construct was writ large in Dara's face, it was clearly a struggle she was going to lose. With a gentle smile on her lips, Serina reached out her right hand and used the Force to support her daughter's efforts. For a moment, the rocky pyramid hung suspended in midair, then, while keeping its formation, it tilted toward Serina's right until all rocks were hovering horizontally above the floor. Slowly, they sank the remaining few inches and came to rest on the soft carpeting.

"Oh, mother, am I ever going to learn how to do that?" Tears had started to form in Dara's eyes and were at the brink of spilling over.

Serina picked up Ben and set him back on his feet. "Go to Caaroq and tell her, I'll be coming in just a moment." Then she directed him with a little shove toward the door.

When he was gone, she turned to her daughter. "No one was ever born a master, not even famous Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Qui-Gon Jinn." She favored her with a knowing smile. "They grew up in the Jedi Temple and started their training much earlier than you did. And despite that fact, they had to work hard at gaining the mastery over the Force and it took them many years to do so. So, don't get discouraged. Your potential is great. But you need to learn some patience with yourself. Do you remember the old Jedi Code?"

Dara nodded slowly. With a slightly quivering voice, she recited,

"There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no death, there is the Force."

"Learn to trust the Force and you will be able to overcome any obstacle life will throw into your path."

Again, her daughter's head bobbed thoughtfully up and down in quiet consent. Then, Serina felt another thought flash through Dara's mind as her body suddenly tensed up. "Mother, Obi-Wan Kenobi, wasn't that the Jedi that brought me to Aunt Marisa and Uncle Kayv?"

"Yes, Dara, that was him," Serina confirmed, not certain where this question was leading to.

"Where did you meet him?"

"That's a long story, Dara," and not necessarily one, she wanted to get into quite yet. After all, it would certainly lead to more probing questions as to how she had ended up giving birth on a planet so far away from _Imperial Center_ , that some had nicknamed one of its prominent cities the armpit of the universe. "But I met him the first time on _Tatooine_."

"First time? So, you did meet him again later on?" Obviously, her daughter's curiosity was now piqued for sure. "But didn't he die on the first Death Star? At least, that's what I heard in school."

With a sad smile on her face, Serina confirmed, "Yes, he died on the first Death Star, shortly after the destruction of _Alderaan_. And it was Lord Vader who killed him if that's your next question. But the strangest thing was, that there was no body. He just vanished."

"He vanished?" This certainly gave the young girl some food for thought. For a long moment, Dara mulled the information over. Then, she lifted her head and looked her mother straight in the eyes. "And how do you know all that?"

As she returned her daughter's gaze, memories rose from the depth of Serina's mind, scenes replayed that were forever burned into her soul. "How I know it?" she finally replied. "I know it because I was there."


	2. Faulty Design

**Faulty Design**

(0 ABY)

With a sigh, Serina leaned back in her chair and switched off the computer display on her desk. _Enough for now_ , she thought, _sitting in a sim-unit for 24 hours is not as tiring as looking at these plans for two._ Even if she kept at it for another hour, she was sure to not be able to find what she was looking for. She needed a break badly, and besides, Vader wouldn't be back for a while yet, if her last information was correct.

For a moment, she just sat there letting her thoughts drift. Then she pulled herself together and got up. The sight out of the huge viewport at one side of her spacious quarters was marvelous. Below them hung the planet _Despayre_ , now shrouded in an upper-orbital blanket of industrial debris, a side-effect of the construction of the immense battlestation she was on. Letting her gaze wander along the curved surface of the station itself, she was amazed again at this feat of human ingenuity. And yet, when she came to think of the purpose of building this monstrosity, a chill ran down her spine. As much as it was a proof of human genius, it was a proof of human depravity as well.

After slipping out of her black training outfit, she quickly donned her official naval uniform. Then she stepped out of her room and headed for the nearest mess hall. The hallway right outside her quarters was deserted. _No wonder, nobody comes up here unless they are ordered to,_ Serina thought with an ironic smile on her lips. After all, her quarters were adjacent to those prepared for Lord Vader. And who would choose to visit the Dark Lord of the Sith voluntarily?

Soon the corridors became more populated as she approached one of the mess halls reserved for commissioned officers and head technicians of the giant battlestation. It was the middle of the second work-shift and, since most of the workers and even many of the officers were pulling extra shifts to ready the station for its first test flight, the large room was nearly empty.

After selecting a meal from the food dispenser, Serina sat down in an empty corner of the large hall. When a quick glance around had assured her that nobody had taken any notice of her presence, she applied herself to the nerfstew she had selected. _Not bad for an Imperial outpost_ , she thought after the first bite, _at least the Empire still knows how to take care of its commissioned officers._ But still, this meal could by no means be compared to the first one she had the questionable pleasure of enjoying aboard this battlestation. Now her first visit, just a few years back, had been quite an interesting one indeed...

* * *

"The Emperor has ordered me to personally reassess one of his projects. You and the other aides will accompany me there." That had been all the information, Vader had provided her with before they had transferred to the _Devastator_ for the trip to the faraway _Horuz_ system, located in the _Outer Rim_ territories. It had taken them close to three days to get there and he had been exceedingly tight-lipped during their trip, revealing no further details about the project, even during their private time together.

Serina had followed her master to the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer and stood beside him as the swirls of hyperspace turned into streaks of light and finally into the black of realspace. Ahead of them lay a green-blue world swathed in layers of brownish clouds with two small moons in orbit around it. There was a remarkable amount of traffic to and from the closer one of them. At first, Serina was certain that the Emperor's project had to be located on the strangely shaped sphere. But then they drew closer and it became obvious quickly, that the moon itself was the project. The sight of the half-finished construction nearly took her breath away and she was hard-pressed to keep a stony face. If Vader looked through the calmness she displayed, he didn't give any hint of it.

Grand Moff Tarkin had set up a large reception for Vader's arrival with an honor guard of stormtroopers. When their shuttle settled down in the huge hangar bay, the governor was already waiting at the forefront of the assembled troops accompanied by his master designer.

"Lord Vader. You have already met my master designer, Bevel Lemelisk," he reintroduced the unshaven man beside him. "We have been awaiting your arrival. A section of the living quarters has been completed to accommodate your needs. Would you ..."

"I'm here to reassess the progress of the station personally and…" the Sith Lord interrupted him, looking from Tarkin to Lemelisk, "to motivate your workers."

"Good, Lord Vader!" Lemelisk ventured to reply, rubbing his grubby hands together. "They need some motivation. The Wookiee work crews are strong and competent, but they take every opportunity to stall progress."

 _I just wonder why?_ Serina thought sarcastically standing in the shadow behind Vader's looming figure as head of the Dark Lord's advisory team. _I doubt they are too interested in completing this monstrosity. Besides, what slave is motivated enough to really give his best for his master? I doubt that Lemelisk knows what kind of motivation Vader usually has in mind. It surely won't be just some sort of pep talk._

She didn't have to wait long for her assumption to be proved true. Tarkin led them to the largest already finished briefing room in the huge battlestation where he provided the Dark Lord with the records of all the construction teams. For several long minutes, Vader studied the provided information. Then he ordered Tarkin to summon all supervisors.

Since Serina was well aware of what was most likely to transpire, she took her leave of her master together with the rest of the advisory team to oversee the unloading and transfer of their personal luggage to their quarters and the setup of their equipment in the assigned offices.

Soon rumors of what had happened in the briefing room were spreading rapidly throughout the whole construction site. The man operating the gravsled, that was transporting the hexagonal construct which would soon become the base of one of Vader's meditation chambers, turned to her while they were pushing their way through the heavily trafficked corridors, "Did you hear what happened?"

Serina looked at him with an innocent expression on her face. "No, should I?"

"Well, didn't you arrive with Lord Vader a few hours ago?"

"What if I did?" Serina replied.

After a short hesitation, the man continued, "I ... I thought, perhaps you are closely acquainted with Lord Vader if you did arrive with him."

"Now listen, I'm doing my work for the Empire just as you are doing yours. If I did arrive with Lord Vader's shuttle, it's just because I'm on his advisory team. We are not privy to everything he does. Or do you know everything your commanding officer does? Certainly not! So, tell me, what happened?"

Slightly taken aback by her fierce response, the man quickly told her about the example the Dark Lord had made of two construction foremen and how he had ordered their vacuum-frozen corpses to be wired to crossbeams on the outer shell of the half-finished Death Star.

Serina could sense how repelled and frightened the man was about what had taken place. She smiled to herself. If the man's reaction was exemplary for the rest of the work crews, then Vader had achieved his intention only too well. They would not dare to slack off again as long as he was on board and probably not even after he left. Perhaps the return to _Imperial Center_ would be much earlier than she had anticipated.

* * *

"May I sit down?"

Serina had been so absorbed in her retrospections that she hadn't even noticed the young man approximately her own age now standing at the other side of the table. Quickly she composed herself and looked up at him. "Of course, you may, Captain," she invited him after a quick glance at his rank-insignia.

"You must have just arrived. Otherwise, I would have certainly noticed you before today. After all, there are not very many female officers on this installation," he commented with a warm smile on his lips as he sat down across from her and started on his dinner.

"Perhaps, I just have a habit of hiding from nice young officers most of the time," she was quick to quip back at him. Then she added with a short laugh, "But, of course, you are right, I just arrived yesterday. Have you been here any length of time yet?"

"Yes," he was quick to reply. "It's my third year already. And it will be my last year as well. Once the battlestation is tested, I'll be transferring to another project."

"Well, I won't be here that long either. It's just a temporary assignment. So, what kind of work are you doing aboard the station?"

If he considered her too inquisitive, he didn't show it. "I'm working down in navigations. We are just finishing up the last installations before the test flight. And you?"

For a moment, Serina considered what she should tell him. The station was so immense, that unless he had the right access codes he would never be able to track her down, no matter what she told him. But after a look into his eyes, she felt compelled to tell him something at least close to the truth. He didn't deserve to be lied to. "I was assigned to Lord Vader's advisory team some time back. Right now, one of my tasks is to check out the plans of the station for any flaws and the likes." This part at least was true, after all, hadn't Vader given her the task of finding any construction flaws the rebels might be able to exploit?

"I see. That must be quite interesting, but the station is completed and waiting for the first test flight. Isn't it sort of late to look for any mistakes now?"

"It's never too late to find a flaw. After all, especially a huge project like this one is bound to have weaknesses somewhere. Better to find them ourselves before the enemy does."

The young officer nodded. "Of course, you are right about that. So, do you think that rumor is true then, you know the one about the rebels getting a copy of the plans?"

"Perhaps. It would explain why Lord Vader left again so quickly after just having arrived yesterday." Serina was quite careful not to reveal her full knowledge regarding this subject. Sure, the rebels had gotten a copy of the plans, but that fact was not supposed to become publicly known.

She had been aboard the _Devastator_ accompanying Lord Vader from _Ralltiir_ to the Death Star for its first test flight, when they had first gotten the news of what had happened to Tarkin on his way from picking up Lemelisk at _Eriadu_ and, shortly after, the even more disturbing news about the theft of the plans. Vader had taken just enough time to drop off her and the _StarLady_ at the construction site with the instruction to search the plans for any possible flaws the rebels might uncover before heading back out with the _Devastator_ to track the thieves. He had been gone now for more than a day and the latest news had reported him to be tracking the rebels at the _Toprawan_ Relay Station.

Her vis-á-vis nodded at that thought. "It sure would. Well," he added after a quick glance at his chronometer, "I better get going again. It was nice talking to you. Perhaps, we'll meet again?"

"Sure. I'll be around for a while yet." Serina's gaze followed the young man as he headed out of the mess hall. It was time for her to leave as well. Lord Vader would expect some results, and just sitting here wouldn't produce them, that much was certain.

* * *

The next day, Serina was still sitting bend over her computer display when a call from the bridge informed her of the imminent arrival of the _Devastator_. Vader was back!

 _I just hope he was successful,_ Serina thought to herself, _otherwise, I don't know what he'll do when I have to tell him that I haven't discovered anything yet._ She knew his anger only too well, even if she wasn't afraid of it. But it was better to stay clear of him during those moods, something she had learned quickly after becoming his apprentice.

Without bothering to don her uniform, she grabbed her black robe and headed out the door. It took her a while to get down to the main hangar bay and, by the time she finally arrived, Vader's shuttle had already settled down. The emotions emanating from the black-garbed figure now descending the shuttle ramp were clear enough to cause Serina to come to a dead halt. Vader was not only angry at somebody, he was seething with wrath!

 _Oh, oh!_ Serina thought as she beheld the small figure now being escorted out of the shuttle by a group of stormtroopers. _He managed to capture the Princess! I got a very bad feeling about this. If she's got anything to do with the theft of the plans, she's going to pay dearly for it._

Only too well did Serina know Vader's methods of questioning prisoners. After all, she had been forced to use the same methods a few times herself. Though she didn't fully approve of them, she had to admit their effectiveness. Would Leia be able to endure this kind of treatment or would she brake? Only the future would show the inner strength of the young girl.

For an instant, her mind returned to the Royal Palace on _Alderaan_ where she had met the young woman for the first time. Today a member of the Senate as the successor of Bail Organa, the Princess had been only a teenager at that time. With a feeling of disgust, Serina remembered the futility of that specific mission. Although she had discovered that the former Jedi General Rahm Kota had been responsible for many rebel activities, she had not been able to prove any kind of involvement of the Viceroy. It had taken another covert action of one of Vader's agents, the now infamous Starkiller, nearly four years later to bring to light the true allegiance of the renowned _Alderaanian_. Leia had taken her father's place in the Senate and the Viceroy had tried to drop off the sensors.

 _Her father's place_ , now that was a statement Serina had quite some unique notions about. The Viceroy was only Leia's adopted father. That's what the records stated, but there were no hints to be found at who her birth parents had been. And yet, Serina had some assumptions of her own, assumptions she had done her best to hide from her master, even during their most intimate moments. But, if they were true, the young Princess had the best predispositions to withstand the upcoming interrogation already from the cradle.

 _There is only one good side to this whole situation,_ Serina reminded herself as she returned to her quarters, _he will be busy for some time with the Princess. Perhaps, I can finally uncover some flaw before he is finished with questioning her._

Although she had been checking out several possibilities during the previous two days, Tarkin's expectations of the station had proved to be quite correct and she hadn't found one weak spot yet. Every thinkable attack situation seemed to have been taken into account when constructing this _Death Star_. It truly deserved that name!

But perhaps her thinking was just too Imperial, too narrow-minded. Maybe, the answer she was looking for could not be found by only studying the construction plans. _Very well then, I guess I'll have to start considering other methods._

And there were other methods most people might have no access to, but, after all, she did. Instead of returning to the computer display at her desk, Serina walked over to the large viewport and sat down in front of it. Leaning her back against the side of her bed, she assumed a meditative position taught to her many years prior by her first teacher, Tantra.

After emptying her mind and calming herself until she could clearly feel the constant presence of the Force around her, she started reaching out with her mind for the multitude of beings on the battle station. Like a giant invisible octopus, she worked her way first through the minds of those close to her, sifting through the emotions and pictures she received for some hint, some new idea on how to further her investigation.

When she found nothing useful, she extended her search even further, only to find herself drawn to a dark locus located in a large conference room several levels below her. Vader! His mood did not bode well, yet Serina could not resist reaching for him with her mind. Suddenly, she became aware of several men sitting around a burnished conference table in a coldly lit room. Her view was strangely distorted, not at all like seeing something with your eyes, and yet of a profound clarity even to the smallest detail.

Then suddenly, she could understand what the men were speaking. "Any attack made against this station by the rebels would be a suicidal gesture, suicidal and useless - regardless of any information they managed to obtain." The words resounded loudly in Serina's mind, drowning out every other thought. Only barely was she able to recognize Motti's voice. Startled by the strange sensation, she wanted to withdraw but somehow found herself unable to do so.

Then she realized what had happened. Vader had felt her searching mind and had somehow pulled her into himself, allowing her to experience the exchange in the conference room through his own eyes and ears. She could feel the simmering anger within his soul, but he did not allow it to reflect in his voice. "Don't become too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a city, a world, a whole system is insignificant when set against the Force."

"The Force," Motti sneered at him. "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient mythology has not helped you to conjure up those stolen tapes or gifted you with clairvoyance sufficient to locate the rebel's hidden fortress. Why, it's enough to make one laugh fit to ..."

The admiral's eyes abruptly bulged, and his hands went to his throat as he began to turn a disconcerting shade of blue.

"I find this lack of faith disturbing," Vader ventured mildly.

"Enough of this! Vader, release him." Tarkin sounded quite distressed at the bickering among his own men. Although Vader immediately released his victim, Serina could feel a grim satisfaction permeating his soul. That man would think twice before sneering at the Dark Lord again.

Then abruptly, Serina was hurled back into her own body as Vader released her mind out of his grip. Still numb from the unexpected experience, she just sat there staring out of the huge viewport at the endless array of stars. What had that been all about? It was surely not the first time that her mind had been joined to her dark master's, but before it had only happened when he had been instructing her or - a warm sensation moved through her abdomen at the thought - when he had slept with her. But why had he made her listen to the conversation? Perhaps, he had just followed some instinct and didn't even know himself.

And she still hadn't gotten any kind of hint to help her with the task at hand. Shaking her head to clear her mind from the unsettling experience, she suddenly remembered what Vader had said. The Force! Even a battlestation as this Death Star was nothing when set against the Force. And Vader was not the only one to believe in this "ancient mythology"! The rebels did, too! Yes, even their whole _thinking_ was different from that of the Imperials. They tended to try the impossible and sometimes, trusting in the Force, they managed to make it work.

Slowly, a new idea was starting to form in her mind. So far, she had only considered large-scale attacks. The battlestation had been built to destroy armies, cities, and even whole planets. But the favorite attack vessel of the rebels was not a large Star Destroyer. It was a little X- or Y-Wing. Was there a possibility that a small craft could achieve what a whole fleet could not? Quickly, she got up and returned to studying the plans with this new thought in mind.


	3. Escape Plans

**Escape Plans**

(0 ABY)

When the door opened several hours later to admit a dark imposing figure into her quarters, Serina turned to her visitor with grim satisfaction. She didn't have to see his face to know the results of the interrogation of the Princess. Had his mood been bad, his anger barely concealed when he had arrived with his "catch", it was now even worse - if that was at all possible. And yet, she also perceived a profound astonishment at the strong will of the young Senator, perhaps even some grudging respect for her?

"You have found a weak spot." It wasn't a question. Vader knew he could depend on her. "Show me!"

Serina nodded and called the appropriate portion of the plan back to the screen as her dark master stepped up to her side. Others would have shrunk back or perhaps even panicked at hearing the machine controlled breathing so close to their ear, the malevolent presence so bearing down on them, but Serina always found a dark comfort in his closeness.

"I have studied the plans over and over again, but there seems to be only one real weak spot if one could even call it that. A hit to this thermal exhaust port" - a bright red spot marked it on the screen - "would set off a chain reaction that would blow up the whole station. But this port is very small. I don't believe any pilot, no matter how good he is, could hit it at the speed he would need to get by those emplacements here," she pointed to some spots marked in bright blue on the plan, "here and there. Besides, it is ray-shielded, so they would have to use proton torpedoes. Even a very skilled pilot would have to be more than lucky to come just close to hitting it, even using a targeting computer. On the other hand, somebody using the Force..."

"...might be able to!" Vader finished the sentence thoughtfully. "Since the Jedi are extinct, there should be no danger to the station. And I'll make sure, nobody gets close enough to fire at that port should they attempt to do so."

For a while, they stood in silence studying the screen. Then Vader placed his gloved hand on Serina's shoulder. She turned to look up into his masked face.

Some of his bad mood seemed to lift as he regarded her. Again, she had proved to be a very useful tool for the task he had set before her. And he had expected no less. He could sense her desire to spend time alone with him, but right now there was no room for pleasures of that kind. Perhaps, at a later time ...

His thoughts turned back to the interrogation of the young Senator. Now there was some pleasure in that, but the results were far from satisfying. If the Princess could not be forced to reveal the information he sought, perhaps she could be tricked into it with Serina's help.

"Master," Serina spoke up as she felt his attention again upon her, "I would like to see our captive. Since she has proved quite resistant to your methods so far, I might have a plan to obtain that information through other means. But I would need to get her to trust me first. If I am allowed to check on her wellbeing, I might find a way to achieve just that. She might even remember me from my mission on _Alderaan_ some years back."

Vader considered her suggestion. As so often, her thoughts had been along the same lines as his own. A plan was starting to develop in his mind. If Serina could get the Princess to take her to the rebel base...

"Go ahead. You have about an hour before I start the next interrogation. The guards will get orders to take you to her. Wait for me in my chambers when you are finished."

Serina bowed her head in acknowledgment. As the Dark Lord turned to leave her quarters, she called up the nearest medical facility and ordered one of the droids to meet her at detention block AA. Then she quickly changed into her uniform and headed for the lifts.

* * *

The guards had already received orders and took her and the droid directly to the cell where the Princess was being held. The heavy door slid aside to reveal a young girl laying on the hard bunk at the far end of the cold, bare room. Though she had fallen into a fitful sleep, the sound of the opening door caused her to jerk awake with an expression of horror on her face. At the realization, that it wasn't the black masked form of the Sith Lord, a small sigh of relief escaped her lips. Shaking off the last remnants of her nightmares, she sat up to regard her unexpected visitor.

Serina stepped into the cell. Then she motioned the droid to step inside. "It's just a medical droid," she reassured the Princess when she saw the alarmed expression on her face, "it will only evaluate your condition." Then the heavy door closed, shutting out the stormtroopers that had accompanied her.

After the medical droid had examined the young woman and delivered a preliminary report to Serina, she ordered it to retreat to the far end of the room and deactivate. Then she stepped up to the bunk the Princess was sitting on. "May I sit down?"

Leia nodded, not sure what to make of this kind-faced officer so seemingly out of place in this unpleasant environment. "Who are you and what do you want?" Her apprehension was quite palpable.

"My name doesn't matter, but my orders were to check on how you are doing and to make sure the treatments have not inflicted any permanent damage." Serina bowed close to Leia's ear, her voice now barely above a whisper. "But actually, I am looking for a way to get you out of here. What they are doing to you is just not right! I will not allow them to harm you any further!"

Astonished, Leia met the gaze of the unknown, yet somehow familiar woman at her side. Then suddenly recognition dawned on her.

"I've seen you before on _Alderaan_! Weren't you at one of our receptions at the Royal Palace? It must have been at least..." she hesitated, trying to recall the appropriate occasion, "five or six years ago."

Serina nodded. She hadn't been certain if the young woman would remember, but, since she did, the rest would perhaps be easier than she had expected.

Time past by swiftly until the door opened and one of the guards stepped in. "Time's up, Captain."

With a quick movement, Serina got up and reactivated the droid. At the door, she turned back to look into Leia's eyes.

"You should really give up your resistance. The worst is yet to come. You cannot stand up to Lord Vader's treatment for much longer. Why don't you spare yourself a lot of pain and just give him the information he seeks?" While her voice was purposefully harsh because of the presence of the stormtrooper, her eyes spoke quite a different story. Then she turned sharply and was gone.

Leia pondered the unlikely offer just made by this unassuming Imperial officer. But could she dare to trust her? So far, it seemed to be her only chance to escape this horrible place and the clutches of Darth Vader. Yes, if the woman would pull off the plan she had mentioned to her, she would go for it. Getting away from this place had to be her first priority. And afterward...

But one thing was certain: whatever happened, she would definitely have to keep a very close eye on that woman!

* * *

As Serina was escorted back out of the detention area, she smiled to herself. Leia didn't really trust her, but she knew well that she would grab any chance to get out of the desperate situation she was currently in. Vader upcoming "treatment" would make her even more willing to jump at any escape plan Serina could provide for her. Once they had left the station, it should be quite easy to convince her - with the help of the Force, if necessary - to take her to the rebel base. The rest would then be up to her dark master.

But - and she hoped dearly that the time left would be sufficient enough and that Vader would never discover this aspect of her plan - the Rebel Alliance would have a chance to evacuate their base in time and Leia would be safe. It would be the least she could do for the young woman, especially if her assumption was true. Because, if it was, Leia might be the only hope for this galaxy to ever regain the balance it lost so many years back when the Jedi fell prey to the evil and long-term scheming of the Sith. And she might very well be the only hope for the man her dark master had once been to ever be freed from the chains of the dark side. Her glimpses of possible futures were starting to converge on one single moment in time. And that moment was approaching quickly.

Vader was not in his chambers when the outer doors opened at Serina's approach. She passed quickly through the small entrance area into the large, dimly lit room containing his meditation chamber. The upper lid was raised, and the inner lighting had been turned off. The large viewscreen at the far end of the room showed the strange colors of hyperspace.

Serina became aware of the low vibration permeating the whole station. They were on the move. Since Leia hadn't revealed anything yet, what possible location could they have chosen to try this monstrous death machine on?

A horrible suspicion was dawning on Serina as the door swished open behind her. She did not turn around but waited for the dark evil presence of her master to step up to her side. When his gloved hand came to rest heavily on her shoulder, a surge of dark desires rushed through her body. But this was certainly not an appropriate time, so she let them pass.

For some time, they just stood there silently, then Vader moved off toward his meditation chamber. As he settled down in the comfortable, slightly reclining meditation chair in the center, Serina took her customary place right at the entrance on the hard metal floor, wrapping her arms around her legs and leaning her back against the inside of the hull.

The upper lid slowly closed until the chamber was airtight, then the pressure started to rise. The air quickly pervaded with the medication Vader required to breathe unaided. The robot-arm lowered down over the helmet and lifted it off his head. Other more delicate arms disconnected and removed the complicated mask portion. Finally, Vader drew a deep breath and turned to gaze down at the young woman barely visible in the dim illumination.

He could feel her need to know about the recent developments, but she had learned to wait patiently. First, he had to consider the consequences and possible benefits of Tarkin's plan. Not that he believed the foolish plan would persuade the young Senator to deliver the desired information, but there were other benefits to it. The time had come to make the galaxy aware of the newest, most powerful weapon at the command of the Emperor. And the destruction of _Alderaan_ \- and Grand Moff Tarkin would order its destruction no matter what the Princess would tell them - would surely be a signal to all those worlds sympathizing with the Rebel Alliance.

However, as Serina would surely point out, it could also work to the contrary and drive more worlds into supporting the rebels. No matter what the long-term results of this action would be, the only way to stop this foolish rebellion was to destroy their main base and their leadership. Since Tarkin's proposed action would most likely not bring them any closer to this goal, he would have to develop a plan of his own.

Serina's idea of helping the Princess escape and convincing her to take her "rescuer" to the base - equipped of course with some homing beacon - was an alternative to be considered. But the Princess would be wary to trust a nearly utter stranger with her life, and persuading her to take that stranger to their base would certainly be far from easy, but that was exactly the kind of task Serina had been trained for during the past twelve years.

On the other hand, if his troops could finally locate those droids, the Princess might give up her resistance to his mind probe and his problem would be solved.

The next hours would show which direction his actions should take. For now, he had about two more hours until they would reach _Alderaan_. After he ordered some of his special nourishment to be prepared by the robot-unit of the chamber, he turned his attention to the woman at his feet.

He thought back at his reluctance at first to allow her to see him without mask and body suit. Although he had felt her being scared that first time her desire to be with him had prevailed and he had never regretted following the Emperor's orders regarding her. She had truly proved to be an asset to his plans and extremely capable to evoke and fulfill desires he had once considered no longer possible.

Serina felt his attention upon her and gazed up at him. She could feel the tension in his body, the constant pain the suit and his artificial limbs caused and his awareness of his maimed body as long as the mask and helmet were lifted and therefore not attached to his skull and spine to unite the whole suit into one interconnected unit. And she could feel the rage, the hate and the fury that had become the core of his whole existence, the emotions that he had honed and turned into a weapon, that granted him limitless access to the dark side.

And yet, she had learned quickly, that, even in his darkest hours, he still preferred to avoid the pain when it was possible and to be relieved of the awareness that he was no longer the man he used to be before _Mustafar_. That was why she was here, why he allowed her at his side. She rose to her feet and took a step toward him. Then she lifted her hand toward the side of his face that had healed without leaving painful scars. But Vader reached up and grabbed her hand in midmotion.

"The battle station is on its way to _Alderaan_. The governor thinks that threatening the Princess with the destruction of her home planet will elicit the information we seek." His voice was filled with contempt for Tarkin.

"He will destroy the planet no matter what the Princess tells him, won't he?" Serina's eyes filled with horror at the thought. She knew the Grand Moff well enough and a vision that she had done her best to forget quickly drifted back into her mind. Weeks ago, she had dreamed of the destruction of a planet, but she hadn't known which one it would be. Now she did!

Vader agreed. "Most certainly, he will."

"But _Alderaan_ is a peaceful world. They don't even have a planetary defense system. How..."

Vader interrupted her mildly. " _Alderaan_ is also the chief supporter of the Alliance, as even your own reports confirm. To destroy it will deliver the rebellion a painful blow."

"But there are also many people there that are loyal to the Empire. Many good soldiers have their families there. Will you sacrifice them along with all the traitors as well?"

Her question was quite futile. The long years of knowing the Dark Lord made her realize that those people didn't interest him at all. His thinking was on a galactic scale, where the small individuals didn't even start to matter.

But for her own sake, she just had to voice her protest. "And the Princess won't give him any useful information, I'm sure of that. She is like most of the other rebels we have caught before. She'd rather kill herself than to betray their cause."

Vader nodded his agreement. "You did initiate your own plan regarding the Princess?"

"I've talked to her. Of course, she doesn't trust me, but if Tarkin destroys _Alderaan_ she'll be more than willing to be rescued by me." She wouldn't even have to fake her horror at this abominable act, she truly felt that way. It would make things easier, but at what cost!

"Enough of that now, we still have several hours before we reach _Alderaan_." Following the pull of his strong hand, Serina stepped even closer to her dark master. "I want you to concentrate on _me_ now!" _Alderaan_ , Leia, the Death Star, everything was pushed from her mind as he pulled her down into his strong embrace, both physically and mentally. Reaching again for the unblemished portion of his face, Serina allowed her special abilities to change the pain that was his constant companion into sensual stimuli. As his body responded to the Force-induced sensations, their minds once again joined into one, re-experiencing moments of sexual climax and of total immersion into the powers of the dark side.


	4. Annihilation

**Annihilation**

(0 ABY)

The vast conference room was still quiet when Serina entered. Only Grand Moff Tarkin was present, concentrated on the small green gem of _Alderaan_ already visible on the tridimensional solid screen. _Alderaan_ , a world with many cities, farms, factories, and people - traitors, as Vader would correct. And, as Serina reminded herself with a bitter taste in her mouth, a world that would soon cease to exist.

If Tarkin noticed her presence, he did not acknowledge it. But that was nothing new for Serina. It had taken some time before he had taken notice of her during her first stay as well. And, actually, she preferred it that way. She found herself a quiet corner in the far back of the room. It would conceal her presence well from anybody entering while at the same time giving her an unobstructed view of the proceedings.

Shortly afterward, Admiral Motti entered the room informing Tarkin of their arrival at _Alderaan_. _As if that isn't obvious_! She could only shake her head at such formalism. Now Admiral Motti, he had been on the Death Star as well during her first visit...

* * *

After the base had been affixed to the floor of the quarters assigned to Lord Vader's use, the flat oval sphere of the meditation chamber had been lowered onto it. Once everything had been hooked up to the power supply of the battle station, Serina ordered the troopers that had been tasked with the transport and installation of the chamber out of the room. "You may leave now. I will conduct the final test myself." Then she stepped up into the mouth-like cocoon that had opened at a mental command from her.

Deftly she let her fingers play over the controls, checking every reading carefully. So far, everything looked quite all right, no warnings appeared on any of the displays. After entering the command for the sealing procedure, she sat down in the large comfortable chair in the middle of the chamber as the upper half slowly descended.

After another fifteen minutes, Serina was finally satisfied. She could inform Lord Vader that his chamber was set up and in working condition. She hit the switch on the comm unit. "Central control, locate Lord Vader for me!"

"Lord Vader is currently with Grand Moff Tarkin in the main briefing room on Level eighty-two."

Serina scanned the computer display in front of her for the easiest way to get there, then she commanded the chamber to reopen.

The briefing room was located within the already largely finished upper levels of the huge station and Serina was pleasantly surprised to get there without any great detours. One wall of the room was filled with a tridimensional solid screen which currently depicted various portions of the construction plans. Tarkin was so absorbed in explaining the details to the Sith Lord beside him, that he didn't even notice Serina's approach.

"One moment, Governor," Vader interrupted him and turned to the young woman. "What is it?"

"Lord Vader, your chamber is set up and working properly. The rest of the advisory staff has taken up their assigned quarters. I would retire as well if you don't have anything else for me to do at this time."

"Very well. Grand Moff Tarkin will be taking us on a tour of the facility shortly. You may return to your quarters until I call for you."

"As you wish, Lord Vader." Now "shortly", that could be five minutes or two hours, with her master she could never be certain. At least it would give her time to eat and perhaps afterward she would have time for a hot shower.

Serina had just started to get dressed again when the door behind her swooshed open. Without turning she greeted her visitor, "I'll be ready in a few moments, master."

Nobody could see the desirous expression behind the mask as his gaze swept over her slender figure, covered only by a nearly sheer bodysuit. "The governor and Admiral Motti are waiting outside, so hurry up."

Pulling one of her regular uniforms out of her travel bag, Serina finally turned toward him. In the doorway behind his huge frame, Admiral Motti was openly leering at her.

 _Oh, oh,_ Serina didn't have a good feeling about this, _Vader is up to some plan again, otherwise, he wouldn't allow this creep to get such a good view of me! I guess, I better play along!_ Trying to behave as natural as possible, she quickly pulled on her pants and shirt and slipped into her boots. Then she walked over to her bed and picked up her utility belt with the lightsaber hidden in one of the pouches. "I am ready, Lord Vader," she announced after running her hand through her short-cropped hair.

"Governor, Admiral," he introduced her after they had stepped out of her room, "my aide, Captain Wanders, responsible for communications and the coordination of my advisory team. She will accompany us on the tour. You may lead the way, Governor."

As Tarkin walked ahead with the Dark Lord, Serina fell in step behind them side by side with the admiral. Soon they entered a large hangar bay containing several transport and inspection vessels. Tarkin's pilot, a young lieutenant about Serina's age, was already awaiting them next to one of the larger inspection crafts.

While their ship slowly threaded its way through the protruding studs and beams of the unfinished half of the battle station, Tarkin and Motti pointed out the important sections of the ongoing construction work. Both were quite surprised at the details Serina questioned them about. Obviously, they had not expected her to be either interested or well versed in technical matters.

Finally, the end of their inspection tour drew near, and their ship settled back down in the hangar bay. Since there had been no opportunity to openly question her master about his intentions during the tour, Serina used the few moments of silence in the vessel to reach out through the Force for him. _Master, what do you wish me to do now?_

The answer arrived swiftly in the same fashion, _Tarkin and Motti have some secret plan regarding this battle station. Use whatever is necessary to find out what it is. The Admiral seems quite taken up with you, in every way. Use it!_

Only too well did Serina understand the implied meaning. _As you wish, Master. How far should I go?_

 _As far as you need to. Come to my rooms afterward._

"Lord Vader," Tarkin addressed the Dark Lord after they had disembarked from the inspection vessel, "would you like to visit the construction sites of the two "unfortunate" foremen to check on the current progress there?"

"Very well, Governor, let's see how my little motivation lesson has taken effect. Captain Wanders," he turned to the young woman behind them, "you may return to your quarters. I have no further need of your services at this time."

"Perhaps Captain Wanders would like to join me for dinner? I believe my presence is also not required for the rest of this tour." The intentions of the admiral were quite obvious.

"Lord Vader?" Serina addressed her master.

Having received the Dark Lord's approval, Motti proffered his arm to the young woman and led her out of the hangar bay.

* * *

"Thank you very much for this pleasant dinner, Admiral." Serina pushed her empty plate toward the center of the table and picked up her goblet filled with a sweet, quite delicious _Alderaanian_ wine. "I hadn't expected such comfort on a military installation like this Death Star, especially since it is still under construction."

Motti laughed lightly at her remark. "As I told you, rank has its benefits. After all, I am second in command on this battle station. And, I am sure you realize that once this station is finished we will be holding the ultimate power of this galaxy in our hands. I would think a little bit of comfort is quite appropriate for someone in this kind of position."

"I grant you that, Admiral," Serina was slowly getting disgusted with the man's arrogance but she did her best to hide it.

"No need to be so formal, Serina, just call me Conan," the admiral offered as he scooted closer to her on the soft formfitting couch and picked up his own glass of wine. "Let us propose a toast to this magnificent station that will finally bring order and peace to our galaxy."

"Yes, and to our highest leader, the Emperor," Serina added watching Motti carefully. Did she notice a slight unease there? "Now Admiral, ... ah ..., Conan," Serina continued after a sip from her glass, "why don't you tell me a little bit more about yourself. You have had quite a career, as young as you are and already second in command of this battle station."

"I can assure you, it wasn't always easy, but if you have the right connections..." During the next hour, Motti indulged himself in telling her in great detail his military achievements that had brought him into his current position, all the while becoming more and more obtrusive. When he let his hand come to rest on her leg she purposely ignored it, apparently absorbed with his story. Even when he went so far as to put his arm around her shoulder and lightly drew her toward him, she played along goading him with approving remarks to reveal more about himself. The physical contact enabled her to apply her Force-persuasion more directly without the man even being aware that she was influencing him. "... and that's how Grand Moff Tarkin became aware of my value for him. Ever since that time I have been serving as his right-hand man. As a matter of fact, we are even related."

"Now this station will provide the Grand Moff with a means to gain even greater power than he already has, won't it?" Serina ventured thoughtfully. "And you will be right there to share it with him. Now that's quite a future to look forward to."

"You are perfectly right there, Serina. With this ultimate weapon at his disposal, the Grand Moff will hold a power in his hands that even the Emperor won't be able to ignore. He will surely have to accept him as an equal, and if he doesn't, who knows...?" His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Now you see: my future is quite bright indeed. And somebody contributing to making it come true would benefit greatly himself."

"What are you talking about, Conan? I have no means of aiding you in this quest of yours! Besides, are you not underestimating the power of the Emperor and his other servants, especially Lord Vader? They won't just step aside to allow the Grand Moff to take over. Death Star or no Death Star, it will not make that great a difference."

"Lord Vader!" the Admiral spat out the name like a curse. "Now, I realize you are working for him. But that could change quickly. Once the Emperor realizes the power this station holds, Lord Vader might soon be a forgotten relict like the rest of the Jedi sorcerers and their religion."

"Don't underestimate Lord Vader's powers nor his connections. Many others who have made this mistake have not survived to do so a second time."

"But that's where you come in, my young friend. I have a deal to offer you. Since you seem to have a close relationship to Vader it should not be too hard to provide me with information that will help us to discredit him before the Emperor."

"And what do you offer me in exchange for this information?"

"Once we have neutralized the Sith Lord, I would be very pleased to provide you with an adequate position of power at my side." Motti's expression told her exactly what kind of position he had in mind. And he seemed absolutely convinced that she would agree with his proposition. Without waiting for her answer, he bent over intent on kissing her while his hands started to move over her slender form.

But Serina had heard enough. The expression on the admiral's face turned from lustful expectation to surprise and then bald anger, as Serina gave him a forceful shove that threw him backward onto the couch. Then she got up swiftly and stood in front of him, glowering down at the slightly older man.

"You underestimate not only Lord Vader, but also my position with him greatly, Admiral Motti!" Her voice was low, but cold and piercing. Something in her eyes warned him to keep his anger in check. "What you have just told me could be considered not only foolish but even traitorous. Now I could consider these ideas of yours just ravings of a drunken man, not worthy of the attention of a Dark Lord of the Sith. But be warned, should you ever - and listen carefully, I said _ever_ \- try to touch me again, I will make sure that you find out just _how_ powerful Lord Vader is."

As she turned and headed for the door, Motti made a weak attempt to get up and stop her. Without turning to look at him, Serina gave him a last warning, "And don't try to stop me. Believe me: I have means of making you very sorry if you do!"

Then she was gone. For long moments, Motti just sat there staring at the closed door. Slowly fear crept into his soul. He had gravely misjudged that young woman. What in the world had caused him to tell her all of their plans? Would she tell Vader? Would he believe her? Most likely! Desperately he searched for a course of action to salvage the situation. Finally, he arrived at a grim conclusion. He would have to find out more about this woman, especially what she was to Lord Vader. Perhaps, he could find a way to discredit her should she decide to tell the Dark Lord about their conversation.

Serina's mind returned to the situation at hand. Of course, she had told Vader about her conversation with Admiral Motti. Then she had asked him, "So what are you going to do with them? Their ambition could be a threat to you and the Emperor."

Vader had considered the situation for a long moment. When he had finally answered her question, Serina had been quite surprised. "I'll just keep an eye on them. What Motti told you might have been spawned only by his own ambition. Tarkin might not even be aware of it, yet. They are still fulfilling their purpose. When the right time has come, I will eliminate them before they can pose a threat to me or the Emperor."

And so far, it seemed, nothing had happened yet to cause any action on her master's part. Serina had been quite aware of the research Admiral Motti had started regarding her person, but whatever he had found - and Serina knew well what was to be found in the Imperial database regarding her - had apparently convinced him to leave his fingers off her. When they had met soon after her arrival two days prior, he had only given her a nasty glare but had not dared to say anything to her. Now he was standing at Tarkin's side silently observing the view screen.

Vader had gone to get the Princess. Soon, the young Senator would be put through her hardest trial yet. How would she stand up to the threat to her home planet, her parents, her people? Would she break? Serina didn't believe it and she knew Vader didn't either.

When the huge doors opened, Serina pulled her cloak even tighter around her body. It would not help her plan if the Princess recognized her. But Leia didn't have time to look around. Pushed forward by the Sith Lord, her whole concentration was upon the Grand Moff waiting for her.

Serina watched the exchange with growing admiration for the young woman. And when Leia in the end, seemingly broken, offered _Dantooine_ as the location of the rebel base, Serina knew that it most certainly no longer was. She would never forget the horror that became visible on Leia's face when Tarkin ordered the destruction of _Alderaan_ anyway.

Vader firmly gripped the young Princess as a deep vibration started to penetrate the whole station.

The heavy machinery for the superlaser was charging up for the destructive blow. Eight bright green laser rays shot forth, were bundled, and raced toward the blue-green globe partially covered by a layer of white clouds. Within the wink of an eye, it was over. _Alderaan_ burst into billions of pieces, successfully obliterating every living being on it.

Unheard by most, the outcry of billions of souls suddenly facing their untimely deaths raced also outward from the destroyed planet along the invisible strands of the Force.

Though Serina had tried to steel herself for this mental onslaught, her preparation proved absolutely inadequate. She sank to her knees with a muffled outcry. Several of the stormtroopers turned in her direction, but Vader prevented any further investigation when he ordered them to escort the Princess back to her cell.

Soon, Serina was alone in the large room. The screen still showed the debris of the planet continuing to slowly drift apart. Vader had attempted to teach her how to draw strength from the pain inflicted on others, but she had never been willing to achieve that level of mastering the dark side. She had realized early on that to follow him down that path would make her forever a servant of the dark side. She would have passed the point of no return, with no hope left of ever reaching her true destiny. No, to have to endure this mental onslaught was highly preferable to the terrible disembodied state that was the ultimate fate of all those who blindly followed the dark side.


	5. Meeting an Old Master

**Meeting an Old Master**

(0 ABY)

All attempts at finding some rest proved utterly futile. Finally, Serina swung her legs over the side of the bed and just sat there staring at the wall. The outcry of the dying still lingered in her mind, effectively driving sleep out of her reach and even meditation had not helped her to shake the deep impression that horrible event had made in her soul.

Everybody was still waiting for the findings of the advance scouts sent out to investigate _Dantooine_. Serina was sure all they would find would be at best the base once used by Starkiller and the Alliance to imprison Vader. And it had certainly been deserted already some time ago, most likely right after her successful prison break. It would be difficult even for the Sith Lord to convince Tarkin of their plan, but it would be the only alternative left once the report from the scouts arrived. She had finished her preparations before retiring to her quarters; now all that was left was to wait for her master's order to proceed with it.

A hot shower was one of the luxuries her position as Vader's aide had secured her and now she needed it dearly. As the water washed over her it took away with it some of the tension of the past days. Suddenly, she felt a strangely familiar disturbance in the Force. She could not place the familiarity, but the ghost of a memory tugged at the edges of her perception.

She caught up with Vader as he made his way to the main docking bay accompanied by some of his troopers. Quickly he informed her of the freighter they had caught.

"We might not need to put your plan into action after all. Wait here." He motioned the troopers to follow him into the hangar where the freighter had been forced to land.

Serina faded into the dark at the back of the vast bay. Something was quite peculiar about this ship and the only way to discover the reason for this sensation was to wait and watch.

Vader had to be feeling the same way since she could sense his uncertainty when he ordered a full scan of the apparently empty ship. Then the bay emptied again, leaving only two stormtroopers and an invisible figure waiting in the shadows.

Serina's patience was rewarded when a short time later both guards disappeared into the ship only to emerge again after some moments being followed by a huge Wookie and an old man dressed in a brown Jedi robe.

Obi-Wan! Serina had to catch herself against the crate she was hiding behind as long-suppressed memories came rushing into her mind. _Tatooine_ , her mission to infiltrate the smugglers, the Jedi she had felt upon approaching the Jundland Wastes, the man she had met at the cantina in Mos Eisley, how she had tracked him to his home in the mountains north of the Jundland Wastes, the quick fight that had left her at his mercy, how she had revealed to him whom she was serving, how she had talked him into helping her to protect her child from her dark master and the Emperor, how he had agreed to do just that.

But then the crash in the escape pod months later. He had been there to help her, but it had been too late. Her child had died and had no longer needed his protection. Apparently, he had made her forget all about meeting him, about him planning to help her, just as they had discussed. And there was another memory that she had forgotten as well. There had been a young boy, about twelve years old, a boy, who had reminded her of her dark master, a boy, who was strong in the Force, but totally unaware of it. For a moment, a feeling of betrayal surged through her, causing anger at the old man to well up inside of her. But she quickly reined it in. No, if he had made her forget that as well, she had most likely agreed to it at that time. It might have even been her idea in order to protect him and the young boy. How old would he be now? Eighteen or nineteen? What had become of him? Had he ever discovered his connection to the Force? Had Obi-Wan become his teacher? Too many questions for the moment and no answers in sight.

But it had to be him. There was no mistaking the stirring in the Force. Had Vader felt it also? Surely, the presence of his old master would not have escaped his notice, now would it? If so, a confrontation could hardly be avoided. But to avoid it might not be Obi-Wan's intention.

Becoming one with the shadows, Serina followed the old Jedi as he left the small command office near the hangar bay and headed down a long, brightly lit hallway.

Though he had aged visibly since their encounter on _Tatooine_ seven years prior, he still moved with ease avoiding diverse patrols until he reached his destination.

Serina knew enough about the battle station from her past studies to be able to guess his intent. He was going to disable the couplings of the tractor beam to the main reactors, to allow the freighter to escape. She would wait for him somewhere along his way back to the hangar bay. Perhaps she could warn him of Vader's presence. But, most likely, it would not be news to him.

Serina was already starting to wonder if he had taken another way when she finally sensed Kenobi only a few feet away from her hiding place. As he passed the small niche she quickly reached out and pulled him into the shadow beside her.

"Serina!" Obi-Wan recognized her instantly even so she had changed since their last meeting on _Tatooine_. He gave her a quick once-over. She still wore a kind expression on her face, but there were hints of the darkness that had taken root in her soul, of the evils that had to have been her companion in the years that had passed. "I see, you remember again." It was a statement of the obvious. After all, his presence had been incorporated as the trigger to release the mental bonds on her suppressed memories. "What are you doing here?" One look into her eyes answered the question for him. "Oh, you are still with him!" He shook his head in dejection. "You still believe in the good in him after all he's done in the past years?"

"We've been through this thoroughly enough when we met on _Tatooine_. You know my feelings toward Vader. I didn't follow you to discuss them with you, only to warn you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her concern for him obvious. "He is here. And if he has felt you as I have, he will come looking for you. He has grown very strong in the years since your last fight. You might not be able to win this time around."

Obi-Wan regarded her quietly for a moment, realizing she must have had a glimpse at what lay ahead of him. "You must always remember what I have told you on _Tatooine_. Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter. If he kills me I will only become more powerful, but if it's the other way around he'll cease to exist. Or worse..."

He sensed in her a much stronger adherence to the dark side than when she had begged for his help in protecting her unborn child, but she had not yet passed the point from which there was no turning back. He marveled at this knowing the strong ties that bound her to his former padawan. What a great Jedi she could have become had she not chosen this foolish and dangerous place at Vader's side. But she had not been open to reason regarding this seven years back, she surely would not be now.

With a fatherly embrace he wished her farewell, then he slid out of the small niche back into the corridor. Serina waited until he had passed around the corner at the far end of the passageway, then she followed slowly.

She hadn't gotten very far yet when the sound of clashing lightsabers reached her ears. Although part of her didn't want to see the fight, she felt compelled to round the next corner. There they were!

Obi-Wan was backing toward the hangar as Vader was bearing down on him. Through the open blast doors, Serina got a glimpse at the rest of Kenobi's group as they were using the commotion to make a run for the freighter.

With a brief flash, the fight was suddenly over. All that was left of Obi-Wan's presence was an empty cloak. Vader poked at it, wary of some trick, but Serina knew the old man had vanished.

When a shout from the hangar bay drew everybody's attention, Serina turned and hastened back to her rooms, relieved over her master being unharmed while fighting down the immense sadness she felt at Obi-Wan's passing away.

The _StarLady_ , its sleek black design a striking contrast to the gray shuttles in one of the smaller docking bays, had already been replenished and was ready for the final take-off check-up when Serina entered the hangar. She commanded the junior officer who was following her to take her luggage - just one small travel bag she could have easily carried herself, but what good were privileges if you didn't use them! - to the ship while she checked in with the port master.

"As soon as we drop back to realspace I need to get start clearance. I expect your crew has done a good job. Lord Vader would not be very pleased should I run into any trouble!" The port master was quick to assure her that everything was in perfect order.

Serina turned sharply and headed out to her ship. Once again, she admired the sleek form of the craft Vader had presented to her as a gift some years prior. It was a powerful ship, quite maneuverable and fast, nearly invisible in open space due to the special coating even if she didn't use the cloaking device. And one should never underestimate its firepower! Together with its strong shields it truly was a ship to be reckoned with in any fight.

But flying into a fight was not her purpose this time. Sure, there would be a battle shortly. The rebels would not give up their base easily. But Serina was not about to become involved.

She had gotten a glimpse at the young man in Kenobi's group, the one that had cried out at the old man's disappearance. And she had recognized him immediately: the farm boy she had met on _Tatooine_ , the boy, whose existence Obi-Wan had all but deleted from her memory for so many years. Only too well did she now remember again the name she had stumbled across so unexpectedly: Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker, who had turned into a Sith Lord, the master, whom she had been serving now for so many years.

If Luke had finally discovered his connection to the Force and had joined the rebels, there would be a chance that they could destroy this monster of a battle station. If the Force was with him! And if they found out about the weak spot as she had. She was not about to be anywhere near the station if that was the case!

When Vader had informed Tarkin of her findings, the Grand Moff had only shrugged the danger off. To him the station was invincible. He would destroy _Yavin 4_ just as he had _Alderaan_ ; that was all that concerned him.

So Serina had taken her leave of Vader, promising to return as soon as the battle was decided. Although he had been sure that her worries were unfounded he had let her go. Caution was sometimes better than valor and her premonitions had proved true too often already. He would make sure this wasn't one of those times, but one never knew for certain what was to come.

"Hey, you are leaving, too?" A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Surprised, she turned to see the young navigations officer from the mess hall approach. "Is that your ship?" he added with an incredulous tone in his voice.

Serina nodded. "Right on both accounts. That's my ship, all right, the _StarLady_!" She did not try to hide her pride even a bit. "And I will be leaving as soon as we drop back to normal space."

"Me too," the young man replied. Then a shadow of great sadness mingled with a simmering anger crossed his face. Covering his emotions up quickly he continued, "I got some important family business to attend to, so I was assigned to accompany this head designer" - he motioned toward the figure of an older man with an unruly shock of white hair standing together with several other scientists besides one of the shuttles - "and his fellows to _Carida_. From there I'll continue to _Imperial Center_."

"We still have some thirty minutes before reversion, would you like to go for a walk?" Serina could feel the young man's need to talk to somebody. Perhaps she could find out what was bothering him.

"Why not, better than having to talk to him over there." His disgust for the other man became quite palpable now.

"Isn't that Bevel Lemelisk, the one that designed this whole station?" Serina asked as they headed out of the hanger bay.

"Yeah, that's him."

For a moment they walked along the nearly deserted corridor in silence.

"You don't like the guy, do you?"

"Not in particular." The young officer was close to opening up, Serina could feel it. Reaching out with the Force, she tried to encourage him to tell her about his problem. After a quick glance around to ensure that nobody was close enough to overhear their conversation, he continued, "If he hadn't thought up this monstrosity, _Alderaan_ would still exist!" The pain in his eyes spoke a clear language.

"You are from _Alderaan_? Oh, I'm so sorry for you. That must have been awful for you to watch your home planet destroyed. Is that why they are sending you back to _Imperial Center_?"

"Yeah, I asked for a transfer because of "family problems" and they granted it."

"And what are you going to do there? You can't go back to _Alderaan_."

The young man looked at her for a long moment. Why did he have a feeling that he could trust her? He didn't even know her name! But he had to tell somebody, and she was leaving too, surely, she wouldn't tell on him! "I won't wait for a new assignment; I'll be getting out of the Navy. After what the Empire has done to _Alderaan_ , I...I just don't know what to do now. Perhaps," he hesitated for another moment, "perhaps I'll even join the rebellion if they survive this attack. I've lost all my faith in the Empire." Anxiously he watched for her reaction.

Serina nodded slowly. "I understand quite well what you are feeling. And, trust me, I won't tell on you. Just consider your next steps well. Nothing you can do will bring back _Alderaan_ or your loved ones!"

"No, but perhaps I can do something to prevent it from happening to others. I guess I got to get going now. Perhaps our paths will cross again someday?"

"Perhaps someday," Serina agreed. They had returned to the hangar bay and were standing at the ramp leading into the _StarLady_.

"May I just ask for your name before I leave?" The young man looked at her expectantly.

"It's Serina, Serina Wanders," she replied.

"Well, I'm Dirk, Dirk Hariks. And I'll be seeing you." With a sad smile, the young man turned and headed for the shuttle at the other end of the hangar.


	6. Retaliation

**Retaliation**

(0 ABY)

Nobody noticed the small craft drifting in space at the far side of the _Yavin_ system, a great distance from the battle station still in the process of traveling around the mid-sized orange central star. All systems except for life support and passive sensors were powered down, no light shone through the viewports and the black paint allowed no reflection of the surrounding stars. And yet, at only a single touch, the ship would soar back to life within just a few seconds.

Serina was just as alert and ready for action as her sleek vessel. Vader's orders had been explicit. "Be ready, but don't get involved unless I call you!" he had told her before she had headed out from the Death Star right after they had reverted to realspace. She was his last recourse should all else fail. Disappointing his expectations was no option.

Although the ship-sensors didn't supply her with much information - there was too much time lag due to her distance from the events and too much distortion caused by the central star of the system -, Serina was far from blind concerning the battle that had just been joined near the fourth moon of the gas giant _Yavin_. Seated in the comfortable pilot's chair, now fixed in a reclining position, she reached out along the invisible strands of the Force trying to get a clearer picture of the situation.

It would still take several more minutes before the moon-sized killing machine would reach the position required to be able to fire at the location of the rebel headquarters. The few larger vessels of the Alliance defensive fleet had engaged the ships that were escorting the huge battle station. At the same time, several squadrons of small fighters were using the remaining moments to run attacks directly at the Death Star, dipping deep into the trenches and canyons, attempting to avoid the weapons emplacements designed to fend off much larger vessels. Serina quickly became aware of their main target: a familiar small thermal exhaust port accessible only from the polar trench, right below the main exhaust port at the upper pole. Apparently, the rebels had discovered the single weak spot just as she had anticipated.

Soon, the first assault wave was passed, and the remaining fighters were regrouping. So far, none of the many TIE squadrons stationed at the battle station had been deployed. Apparently, the Grand Moff was still not convinced that the battle station was at risk. But her master would not underestimate the danger, not after their conversation several days back.

Her assumption proved true only moments later when she sensed Vader and his quickly readied personal group of TIE fighters joining the fray. They soon started to decimate the attacking X- and Y-wings on their second and third run at the polar trench. Serina could feel her master's satisfaction at eliminating one threat to the station after another. She felt the minutes tick away. Soon, the superlaser would be in the position to fire unobstructed at the rebel base.

Suddenly, she sensed a change in her master's presence. Satisfaction gave way to surprise mingled with curiosity. _The Force is strong in this one!_ A single thought reached her mind clearly over the immense distance. Along with it, a disturbance in the Force drew Serina's attention to one of the remaining X-wings just starting another run at the polar trench. It had to be Luke! And Vader was on his tail, ready to shoot him down.

Serina nearly forgot to breathe as she followed the events through the impressions the Force allowed her to perceive. Three X-wings took a dive into the trench unchallenged by the weapons emplacements located along both sides of the artificial canyon. Apparently, they had been ordered to hold their fire to not endanger the TIE fighters that followed on the heels of the rebel vessels. Vader was in the lead, two wingmen in tow. Soon, one of the X-wings was hit and had to leave the trench. Moments later, Vader eliminated the fighter that had danced along erratically to prevent direct shots at the leading vessel.

Then she felt her master zero in on the last remaining fighter. A short was fired, but, for once, Vader had not been able to score a direct hit. She could feel his anger quicken, his determination to eliminate the last threat to the station becoming all-consuming. Suddenly, his anger flared brightly, his thoughts turning from the vessel ahead of him to the two TIE wingmen behind him. Something had happened, but Serina could not discern what it might have been. An instant later, the anger turned into uncontrolled rage as she felt him lose control over his vessel, tumbling head over heels, spinning away from the battle station and away from his prey, unable to accomplish his goal of protecting the huge sphere from the danger a small X-wing and a single proton-torpedo in the hands of an unexperienced Force-user posed.

As Serina directed her perception toward the small rebel craft, she could feel Luke's elation as he delivered the battle deciding shot at the port barely larger than a womp rat. Then he pulled out of the trench and headed back toward the jungle moon. Aware, that the attack on the rebel headquarters would never take place and that the young man, she had met so many years prior, would be save along with all the other on _Yavin 4_ , Serina reached with her mind toward her Dark Lord. She could sense his undiminished rage over his inability to regain control of his ship, his certainty of what would follow within the next few seconds, and a growing feeling of revenge directed at the pilot of the X-wing as well as those at the controls of the Corellian freighter that had so surprisingly foiled his purpose. She was just reaching for the controls to power up her ship, when the Death Star flared into brilliant oblivion, turning into a second sun, much brighter than the glowing gas giant nearby.

Serina sat there for a long time, still staring at the spot far away from where the battle station had winked out of existence taking with it everybody on board. Though she had felt their passing it was nothing compared to the destruction of _Alderaan_. This was war, and anybody fighting in it knew the risks. There was no pity in Serina's heart for the thousands of soldiers that had been on the battle station. Only a quiet satisfaction. Luke and Leia were safe for the moment, the rebellion would go on and one day - Serina was absolutely sure of it - they would succeed. But it was still a long and hard way until that time.

Burying those thoughts in the deep reaches of her mind, she started up the engines of her small craft. Now it was time to locate and direct her master toward the nearest Imperial settlement. Once he could transfer to her ship, their next stop would be _Imperial Center_. The Emperor would not be delighted about the news!

When Serina approached the damaged experimental TIE fighter, Vader had finally managed to regain control over it. She consulted her sensors regarding the condition of the smaller vessel. It had taken quite a beating, but most systems seemed to be still functioning. The hyperdrive showed some damage and its reach would be quite limited. Serina searched her navigational computer for Imperial installations close-by. A small outpost on an otherwise only marginally inhabited planet by the name of Vaal was listed as the closest. Even with the damaged hyperdrive, Vader should be able to arrive there within a day.

Then she tried to contact her master through her ship's comlink. At first, there was no response at all. Finally, Vader established a connection by using his personal comlink that was built into his armored suit. "Hyperdrive is damaged, but still functional. Communications and weapons are inoperative. Navigation also took some damage. It shows _Vaal_ as the closest outpost," he informed her.

"Yes, master, that reading is correct. It will take you about a day to reach the system according to what my sensors indicate of your hyperdrive functionality. You will have to pass through two asteroid fields before you reach the planet itself. A detour around them would take at least another day. Should I fly ahead and guide you through them?"

"No. There is more important work for you on _Imperial Center_. I must find out who that pilot was."

Serina could sense the seething anger in Vader's soul. He took that defeat quite personal indeed. "The pilot who fired the destructive shot?" she asked him just for getting the final confirmation.

"Of course!" he barked at her sharply. "You will put the word out to all my contacts: I'll pay a high reward to anybody who delivers me the name of that pilot."

"Yes, master. I will see to that immediately upon my return. What should I tell the Emperor, if he calls upon me before you get back?" It was more a "when" than an "if" since the Emperor had his eyes and ears everywhere. Word, that the _StarLady_ had returned, would be brought to his attention immediately.

"Tell him, that his lack of faith in the Force has cost the Grand Moff his life and the whole battle station as well. I had warned him, but he had not listened to my advice. The rest will have to wait until I return. Now contact the outpost and inform them of my imminent arrival."

As Serina activated her hypercom, she wondered briefly what conclusion Vader would arrive at once he found out the name in question. After sending the contact request the third time, she finally informed him, "The outpost is not responding, master. Perhaps, something happened to the troopers there. You still want me to leave for _Imperial Center_?"

"Yes, I expect first results by the time I return. The outpost is just another matter I will take care of personally."

 _Those troopers better be dead already,_ Serina thought as she watched Vader turn his crippled vessel into the direction of _Vaal_ and engage his hyperdrive, _otherwise, they'll be in for a nasty surprise._ Vader had no patience at all for those who didn't live up to their assigned task, no matter how insignificant it might be.

Heeding her own advice, Serina quickly plotted the fastest course back to the Imperial capital. She, too, had been given a task and had no intention of failing her dark master. How fortunate that Vader had no idea that she already knew the name he was willing to pay a high reward for to have it revealed to him.


	7. Interrogation

**Interrogation**

(3 Months ABY)

Night was just falling on Monument Plaza when Serina settled the _StarLady_ down in the main shuttle bay of Vader's castle. Caaroq was already waiting for her when Serina descended the ramp.

"Is Lord Vader back already?" Serina asked the taller woman as they made their way toward her private rooms.

"Yes, but he went up to the Emperor's skyhook about an hour ago. He should return shortly. Will you be able to stay a little bit longer this time?"

Serina shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. All I've been doing for the past few months has been checking on rebel activities all over the galaxy and chasing leads regarding that pilot Vader is so set on catching. I think I've seen more different places in the last three months than in the ten years before the destruction of the _Death Star_." She allowed herself a deep sigh. "I haven't seen much of Lord Vader either lately. Perhaps now he'll be able to spend some time with me."

But she knew only too well, how unlikely that was. From the time she had left Vader behind to limp to _Vaal_ , up to this very moment, she had barely had time to think. Once back on _Imperial Center_ , she had contacted the bounty hunters and other agents and advised them of Vader's newest assignment. Then the Emperor had summoned her, and she had to bear the brunt of his disapproval since Vader wasn't back yet.

Back in Vader's castle, it hadn't taken long for the first leads to pop up. By the time her master had finally returned a few days later, his armor slightly damaged and his cape in shreds, the bounty hunters had located a rebel pilot on _Centares_ that had partaken in the battle as well as a rebel deserter who also claimed possession of the high-priced information. Without even reporting to the Emperor, Vader had left again within just a few hours after his arrival to fly to _Centares_ while sending her to follow up on some of the other promising leads. And she had been on the go ever since.

Caaroq looked over at her friend. A longing expression had softened Serina's features reminding her of the first time they had met more than twelve years back. As on other occasions before, she became aware of the changes her friend had gone through during that time, developing from a young naive girl to a mature powerful woman, worthy of her place at Lord Vader's side. But time and experiences had also hardened her, and she had gotten quite indifferent toward the fate of others.

Caaroq still didn't fully understand what motivation was driving Serina, but that her quite intimate relationship to the Dark Lord was responsible for much of her behavior, that she was certain of.

* * *

Serina had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when Vader ordered her to join him in his private chambers.

The large room was only dimly lit, and the Dark Lord was standing silhouetted against the large viewscreen. When Serina stepped up to his side she marveled at the displayed construction plans. They showed an immense arrowhead-shaped starship, according to the measurements given at least ten times the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer. With a questioning expression on her face, she gazed up at the masked figure beside her.

"My new flagship, a _Super_ -class Star Destroyer. It will be finished in just a few more months. It will spell out the ultimate destruction for the rebellion. I have named it the _Executor_. What do you think?"

"A befitting name, master," Serina agreed. "It must have taken quite some years to build."

"Yes, it has been in building for a long time already and was just transferred to the shipyards at _Fondor_ a little while ago for the final stages of construction," Vader informed her. "But soon the waiting will be over. The Emperor has even agreed to delay the final attack on _Yavin Four_ until it is finished. Against it, the rebels will not have a chance at all."

"But that will give them even more time to gather further support. And they might manage to move their main base to a different location in that time as well."

"Our blockade has been quite effective so far. And it will remain in place for the next few months. Right now, I have another problem to take care of."

"A problem, master?" Serina's voice reflected her surprise. Could there be anybody in the Empire daring enough to oppose a Dark Lord of the Sith?

"Only a minor one," Vader replied. "Since the destruction of the _Death Star_ I have become aware that there are again some admirals in our Navy jealous of my position with the Emperor."

"Oh," this did not come as a surprise to Serina, "some more like Admiral Motti? Will they ever learn to not underestimate you?"

"Probably not! The time has come to teach them an important lesson. Admiral Griff has proved quite loyal to my cause. I shall use him to set up a trap for the others." Then he proceeded to lay out his plan before her.

"You will return to the shipyards shortly?" Serina had hoped to spend some time with him, perhaps even take a short trip to _Vjun_. But Vader seemed much too preoccupied with the ongoing rebellion. There would hardly be any time for such pleasures.

Vader perceived her disappointment, although she tried her best to not show it openly. Under his mask, he allowed himself a smile. "You will accompany me to the construction site tomorrow."

"Well, thank you, master." Serina could barely conceal her excitement at this proposition.

* * *

The shipyard was bustling with activity when the _Devastator_ arrived the following day. From the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer, Darth Vader watched the ongoing construction work. Slowly his new flagship was nearing completion. He did not bother to turn when Serina stepped up to his side.

"Construction appears to be on schedule, master. It will be quite an imposing ship." Serina did not try to hide how much the huge construction project had impressed her.

"Yes, quite imposing indeed. Whole planets will tremble when it approaches. It will become the new symbol of the Empire's power and the means of ending this rebellion and bringing again order to the galaxy."

Serina nodded in agreement. "It will of course also be a symbol of your power." In a low voice, she added, "When will you proceed with your other plan?"

"The Admiral should contact me soon. Get your ship ready to take us over to the Transfer Station."

"Immediately, master." Serina turned and walked briskly toward the turbolift.

A short time later, the _StarLady_ lifted off from the hangar bay and headed toward the central complex of the shipyard. Serina was piloting her sleek craft herself while Vader had settled down in the co-pilot's seat.

"Admiral Griff has informed me that everything is going according to our plan. The Admirals have consented to send a message to the rebel headquarters on _Yavin Four_. If the rebels take up their offer - and they would be fools not to - there should be a rebel spy heading our way shortly." Vader sounded quite satisfied with the developments. Soon he would be able to eliminate all those in the Imperial Navy contending for his position with the Emperor in one single strike.

Serina was not inclined to feel any compassion for those admirals. Most of them had risen to high positions in the Imperial forces not only by faithful service to the Empire but, more often than not, by intrigue or just because of good connections. Only too well did she still remember her encounter with Admiral Motti on the _Death Star_.

No, she told herself, these men didn't deserve her compassion. It was their own mistake to meddle with a Dark Lord of the Sith. They, of all the people in the galaxy, should know better. Had they not all experienced the powers Lord Vader commanded? Most of them had, but instead of instilling dread in their hearts they were now moved with contempt for him and with envy. They would have done much better to fear him!

The only person in this whole setup she felt a certain amount of pity for was the rebel spy, whoever it might be. Although only a pawn in Vader's attempt to overthrow the admirals, he would not be able to escape the Dark Lord's questioning and torture.

* * *

Although there was much to see at the huge construction facility, Serina was starting to get bored after only a few days. The rebel spy had not shown up yet and everything else was just moving along according to Vader's planning. Though she finally had the opportunity to spend some private time with him in his meditation chamber, he always appeared too preoccupied with other things to allow her to truly enjoy the hours with him.

Therefore, she was quite relieved when Vader ordered her to ready her ship for a trip toward the _Outer Rim_. "Captain Needa aboard the Star Destroyer _Avenger_ has picked up a rebel fighter pilot who was escorting some supply ships toward the rebel headquarter on _Yavin Four_. The freighters and escort ships were destroyed but this pilot managed to escape the destruction.

Captain Needa has been interrogating the man thoroughly, but either he doesn't have any valuable information or Needa's methods have just not been effective enough. You will go there and question the man personally. The rebels have had enough time to seek out a new base. If they have found one, we need to know about it. Use whatever methods you see fit."

"As you wish, master, I will stay in contact." Then Serina turned and headed out the door toward the hangar bay. The task Vader had given her was not something she really enjoyed. To retrieve information from a stubborn individual sometimes required quite nasty methods, but she would try to be as easy on the guy as possible. And, she thought to herself, anything is better than just sitting around here and waiting for events to take place.

* * *

The _Avenger_ was part of the fleet assigned to monitoring the _Yavin_ system and thus creating an - although not always - effective blockade. Ships managed to get through this enclosure often enough to ensure that the rebel headquarters on _Yavin Four_ could continue its operation. But not all ships were quite that lucky. Oftentimes, freighters were captured or, even worse, destroyed during their attempt to break through the blockade. The small escort fighters, usually X- or Y-Wings, were not enough to protect them against the attack of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Captain Needa had been successful in preventing several transports from getting through the blockade, but they had yet to discover where the supplies were coming from. Most rebels did not allow themselves to be taken prisoner. The capture of this particular rebel had therefore been quite fortunate, but so far, the information they had forced out of the man was not very satisfactory.

"As you wish, Lord Vader," Captain Needa was not at all pleased at this development but tried his best not to show it. "When will your specialist arrive?"

"Shortly, Captain, I expect you to fully comply with my specialist's wishes." Without another word, the Dark Lord terminated the transmission.

Needa doubted seriously that any kind of specialist would get more information out of the rebel than he already had. But he was quite curious what kind of "specialist" Lord Vader was sending him. After all, his prisoner was not a Jedi, so it would probably not be one of the Inquisitors.

* * *

He had just returned to the bridge the following day when he was informed of the arrival of a small starship. "Captain, the _StarLady_ has just left hyperspace and is approaching us now."

"Very well. Inform Lord Vader's specialist that I'll be meeting him down in the main hangar bay and have the prisoner prepared for further questioning."

The unusual sleek form of the black vessel that had just settled down in the hangar increased Captain Needa's curiosity even more. He had expected an Imperial shuttle, not a private yacht. With long strides, he walked over toward the black-robed figure that had just stepped down from the ship's ramp.

"You may close your mouth now, Captain Needa. And I don't think it polite to stare at a lady like this." Serina's annoyance was obvious. She had pushed back the hood of her robe and was glaring at him coldly. "You will take me to the prisoner, now."

The sharp remark caused Needa to recover from his surprise. _Why in the world would Lord Vader send a woman?_ he thought to himself, but out loud he replied, "Welcome aboard, Madam. Please follow me this way." Then he led her toward the detention area.

"Has your last questioning produced any additional results, Captain?"

"Nothing above what we had found out during the first interrogation. We have come to believe that this rebel just doesn't know anything of value. Questioning him any further would be just a waste of time."

"You will leave that up to me to discern. It might very well be that you are correct in your estimation, but some of these rebels have shown a quite high resistance to the standard interrogation methods."

The Captain gave her a curious look. "Do you then suggest other methods to extract further information from him?"

"Let's say it like this, Captain Needa: if he knows anything beyond what you have discovered already, I will glean it from him."

It did not take them long to reach the main detention area of the Star Destroyer. Captain Needa turned to the officer in charge. "Status of the prisoner?"

The officer checked his display. "The prisoner has been transferred to the interrogation chamber as you've ordered, Sir."

"Very well. Madam, this way please." Needa led Serina down the corridor until they arrived at a guarded entrance. The chamber inside was divided into two parts, separated by a one-way mirror. The rebel sat strapped to a chair on the other side of the mirror. "You can study the previous interrogations on this terminal if you wish to," Needa explained to her referring to a small computer screen set into the wall of the chamber beside the mirror. "Do you wish to first observe him, Madam, or do you want to start with the interrogation right away?"

Serina did not even bother to answer the Captain's question. "Thank you, Captain, you may leave now. Should I require any further assistance I will contact you." Without waiting for his reply Serina walked over to the terminal and started scrolling through the protocols of the past few days.

It was almost a miracle that the man in the chair could still sit up straight after all that had been done to him during his short captivity. Captain Needa had been correct, it was very doubtful that the rebel had been able to hide any information from them. Most likely he really didn't know anything of value. But she would have to confirm that with her own methods anyway. She felt a stab of guilt, but she quickly pushed it aside. Her master had given her an order and she would comply.

She turned to the mirror to gaze at the prisoner. Although he was not able to see her, the man seemed to realize that he was being observed. And he hadn't been completely broken yet despite the horrible treatments. With eyes full of hatred and contempt he looked straight at her.

For long moments Serina just stood there. The man had to be in his early forties, yet his hair had already turned to gray at the temples. The deep lines in his face spoke of the hardship he had endured during the past years. And somehow, the longer Serina looked at him, the stronger she got a distinct impression that she knew this man. But where from? She had not met him during the recent years, that she was certain of. Perhaps during her first years with Vader? No, it had to have been even before that time.

With a realization as painful as a slab in the face, Serina suddenly became aware of who the rebel prisoner was. Marc Camon, her one-time teacher, who had been instrumental in preparing her for the Academy, who had lent her a strong arm to lean on when her parents had been killed so many years ago. He had always been kind to her, helpful and supportive. It had been hard on her when the authorities had caught up with him and he had to disappear suddenly, although she had always guessed that he had been in trouble with the Empire.

Of course, the interrogation records showed his true name, the one he had been born with: Maric Camerton. He certainly hadn't used that name in more than eighteen years. And he had never revealed it to her. Thus, she had not made the connection at first.

But would he recognize her? It was doubtful. After all, she had been only a child when he disappeared, barely twelve years old. She had to find a way to save him. But first things first, she called herself to order. She had to go ahead with her interrogation. The rest would have to wait until this task was accomplished.

Pulling the hood of her robe deep down into her face, she stepped into the other portion of the room.

"So, Vader is sending his personal interrogator now," she was greeted by an angry snarl. "Why don't you guys just give it up? You've already found out everything I know."

Serina remained quiet and slowly walked around the prisoner until she stood behind his back. Slowly, she pulled off her gloves and placed her hands on his shoulders. He winced slightly as she touched the bare skin at the base of his neck. Then Serina closed her eyes and reached out for the Force. Concentrating solely on the man in front of her, she projected feelings of calmness and relaxation into his tormented soul.

"I am your friend. I don't want to hurt you. You can trust me." Over and over she whispered the words into his ears, totally engulfing him into an atmosphere of trust and comfort. Hesitantly at first, he responded to the unexpected treatment. Slowly his fears eased, the barriers that had protected his mind started to weaken. Soon it was time for the next step.

"You want to tell me everything because I'm your friend. I can help you to get back to the rebellion, but you must tell me all you know about their plans." Her voice took on a more pleading sound, enticing and promising at the same time. She could feel him slowly opening up to her. Soon his mind would be an open book for her to read. Oh yes, he wanted to get back and he wanted to trust her. He would tell her all he knew, after all, it wasn't really that much. And nobody would blame him if he did. After all, she was his friend.

The right moment had finally come. Before he could rebuild any mental barriers Serina used the Force to reach deeply into his conscience, even down to the levels of his subconscious mind. While she could feel him writhe under her hands, she quickly sifted through an abundance of memories. Most of what she found, she dismissed again immediately. As she had already expected, there was nothing of great importance there, just information they had already obtained through other means. But her own curiosity drove her to delve even deeper into his mind. There it was. Memories of his years on _Taanab_ surfaced, how he had taught those young children, away from the Empire, away from the past that had been haunting him. And one of those children had been very special to him...

With a feeling of deepest shame, Serina abruptly released the prisoner out of her mental grasp and staggered back. What was she doing? How could she violate this man's mind, who had such a high opinion of her, such high hopes for her future?

Without daring to look back at the prisoner, Serina left the room. In the relative safety behind the mirror wall, she glanced back at him. Slowly, still gasping for breath, he was recovering from the excruciating pain her mental attack had caused, trying to gain back his composure.

For long minutes, she just stood there staring at him. What now? She had completed her task to Lord Vader, now she was determined to find a way to save her former teacher from execution which would be his most likely fate.

"Inform Captain Needa that I have concluded my interrogation. I am waiting for him to join me in the interrogation chamber," she commanded the communications officer per intercom, "and then prepare to open a channel to Lord Vader on the _Devastator_."

A short time later, the outer door opened to allow the Captain to enter. "So, have you completed your interrogation, Madam?" he asked her.

Serina nodded, but she waited with further details until the link to her master had been established. She didn't have to wait long.

"Captain Needa, Serina," Vader greeted them from his meditation chamber. "Have you found anything interesting?"

"I am sorry, Lord Vader. All I have been able to do was to confirm Captain Needa's findings. The prisoner truly hides no valuable information. He has been with the rebellion for quite some time already, but lately, he's been just escorting transport ships from out of the system to _Yavin Four_. He has some conjectures about where the supplies might be coming from, but none of that is verified information. However, we might get some leads out of his speculations. I will list them for you in a detailed report."

"Very well, Serina." Vader looked at her for a long moment. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Lord Vader. I was wondering what should be done with the rebel now." Needa glanced at her in surprise. The man was his prisoner, after all, and the regular procedure of dealing with prisoners was quite clear. What did this woman have in mind? What kind of position was she holding to even dare to make such a request? Vader's answer was even more surprising.

"I leave his disposal in your capable hands, Serina. Captain Needa, you will accommodate Lady Serina's wishes."

"As you wish, Lord Vader."

When the transmission had ended, Serina turned to Captain Needa. "Have the prisoner taken to my ship. Your troops will find means of restraining him in my guest quarters."

"Right away, Lady Serina, however, don't you think it advisable to take at least one guard with you on your trip back to Lord Vader?"

The concerned expression on his face caused a sharp laugh from Serina. "Ha, do you truly think me incapable of handling one tied-down man, who's been through hell during the past few days? I think you should reconsider whom you are talking to, Captain."

"As you say, Lady Serina." Then Needa ordered a security detail to escort the prisoner to the hangar bay. With eyes full of hatred Marc Camon stared at Serina's hooded figure as the troopers walked him past where she was standing at the Captain's side.

* * *

The guest quarters on the _StarLady_ were spacious and comfortable. Camon had been quite surprised at the sight of the sleek vessel. He had expected to be terminated shortly, not to be brought on board of a private yacht. After a short discussion, the troopers made him sit down on the floor close to a large viewport and secured his hands and feet to grips that protruded out of the wall. Then they left.

From his awkward position on the floor, Camon could only observe the small portion of the hangar right below the viewport. Soon, he noticed the black-clad interrogator approaching in the company of Captain Needa. For a moment they stopped at the ramp leading into the _StarLady_. Then the officer turned and left the docking bay.

Just a short time later, the black sleek ship rose and turned toward the opening hangar gates. Once they had reached open space, low vibration permeated the vessel as it prepared for the jump. The stars began to streak by, getting brighter and longer until they vanished when the ship jumped into hyperspace.

Camon had started to nod off when the hatch to the guest quarters swooshed open. Wearily, he gazed up at the hooded figure approaching him. Then the woman bent down and touched the controls of the restraints that tied him to the wall. With a click, they snapped open and fell on the floor beside him.

"Don't even think about attacking me!" Serina warned the older man, who sat up and started rubbing his bruised wrists. "You are far too weak and, believe me, I have sufficient methods of fending you off." She motioned him to sit down on the couch at the far side of the room. Then she turned to the small food dispenser and ordered a nourishing meal and something to drink for him.

With utter surprise in his eyes, Camon looked up at her as she placed the plate and glass in front of him. "Here, eat. It will help you regain some strength," she commanded, and then she sat down in a chair across from him.

Wearily, he eyed the food, but he hadn't had a decent meal in days, so he couldn't resist for long. "Why are you doing this?" he asked her when the plate was nearly empty. "I figured you guys were just going to kill me. After all, I've got to be quite useless for you." Inquiringly he looked at the robed figure across from him, but the hood hid most of her features from his scrutiny.

"If I would have left you on the _Avenger_ , you would be dead by now. But I have a different purpose for you in mind. You really don't know who I am, do you?"

Camon slowly shook his head, his gaze fixed upon his vis-á-vis as she pushed back the hood from her face. For a long moment, he was utterly speechless. After his experience on the _Avenger_ , he would have never expected the sight he now beheld: a young woman, in her mid to late twenties, a pretty face with dark blue eyes, framed by short cropped dark hair. Yet what amazed him the most was the expression on her face. It spoke of shame and regret about what had happened, about how she had invaded his mind, inflicting unspeakable pain upon him.

For an instant, their eyes met. Then Serina had to look away. How could she face him after what she had just done to him? Would he ever be able to forgive her? She had not noticed any of the hatred she had felt in him on the _Avenger_ , but surely it would return once he overcame his surprise. Abruptly, she got up and stepped up to the viewport, no longer able to remain under his intent gaze.

"No, I don't know you." He hesitated for a moment. "You are somehow familiar, but I truly don't know why. Where should I know you from?"

Serina didn't know what to do. Should she tell him the truth? He had had such a high opinion of her when she had been young. What would he think of her now? Could she even afford to tell him what position she held in the Empire? After all, he was a rebel and therefore her enemy. But he had once been her friend, her teacher, even her confidant. What should she do?

Camon had noticed the inner struggle taking place in the young woman's heart. The hatred he had felt for her after the excruciating interrogation only a brief time prior, was suddenly gone. Without being able to say why he just knew that she hadn't really wanted to hurt him. Quietly, he stepped up to the viewport beside her. "Please, tell me, who are you?"

Serina turned to face the slightly taller man. There was no hatred in his eyes, just puzzlement and - pity? Again, she turned away from him to hide the tears that had begun to collect in the corners of her eyes. Then she started, her voice nearly faltering.

"Do you remember a lovely summer day on a faraway planet on the edge of the Inner Rim? Several classes of young boys and girls taking a trip with their teachers into the mountains? There was a young girl among them, about ten years old, who always stayed very close to one of the men leading the lively group up a wide path toward a small lake. The teacher had put his arm around her, trying to cheer her up, but to no avail. After all, she had just lost her parents. Outside of her aunt and uncle who were taking care of her now, there was only one person she confided in, this young teacher.

But," Serina turned to look up into Camon's eyes, her face wet with tears, her voice now with a bitter edge to it, "one day, he had to leave, while she ended up in an Imperial interrogation chamber. It left the young girl heartbroken. All she had left now were her aunt and uncle and her dreams. And a grim determination to make those dreams come true.

And they did, perhaps not as she had intended them to, but she made it. Got into the Imperial Naval Academy, not directly, but she got there. Graduated there with honors some years later. But by then, the Academy had already become only a secondary issue, only a means to achieve a much higher goal, to serve the Empire in a much different capacity, with abilities she was being taught by the most feared warrior of the Emperor.

Over the years, she often had to use her abilities in ways she didn't like, yes, at times she was even utterly ashamed of what she was doing. But - there is no way to turn back, to stop doing these things." There was resignation in her voice as she continued, "No matter how much I abhor these deeds, I have to continue doing them as long as my master lives, as long as he himself is serving the dark side." She covered her face with her hands, no longer able to meet his gaze.

Camon reached out to her and drew her into a gentle, fatherly embrace. Slowly he stroked her soft hair, thinking back to the young girl he had befriended nearly twenty years back. "It's all right, Serina, it's all right." He led her to the couch and made her sit down.

"Can you ever forgive me for what I did to you? I didn't want to hurt you but ..." Anxiously, she looked up at him.

"But I already have. Don't worry about it anymore." He gently wiped the tears from her face.

For long moments, they just sat there staring at each other.

"I always knew you would end up with the rebellion. But I had hoped to never meet you again until this war is over." Serina had recovered her composure and was now smiling at him weakly. "But those are the ways of the Force. Had I not been sent to interrogate you, you would certainly be dead by now. And I would have never found out about it. I guess it is better this way around."

"I guess it is. But what are you going to do with me now? After all, I'm still your prisoner."

Serina gave him an impish look. "Some prisoner you are! Perhaps you should eliminate me while I'm still all sentimental," she suggested jokingly. Then her seriousness returned. "But you are right: we need to talk about what will happen to you next."

"I assume it wouldn't be an option for me to just capture you instead and to return to _Yavin Four_ with this nice little ship?"

"No, I doubt that would work," Serina confirmed. "At least, my master would never believe it. He knows too well that it takes much more than one weakened man to overcome me. After all, he's been my teacher - and more - for over twelve years now!"

Camon looked at her curiously. "You mentioned this master of yours before. I remember Captain Needa trying to frighten me with telling me about a "specialist directly from the Dark Lord of the Sith himself". And then you came. Are you telling me that this master you are talking about is Lord Vader himself?"

Serina carefully considered her next words. "Yes, he is the master I've been talking about. I was only about sixteen when we met. He noticed that the Force was strong in me and offered to train me. The Jedi were extinct, there was nobody else to teach me. So, I accepted. I've been with him ever since. Please don't think me naive. I knew quite well even at sixteen what he was offering me. I have a basic Jedi training, he has made sure of that, and I have learned to use the dark side as well. But you've found that out the hard way."

"If you know all that, why are you still with him?" He looked at her incredulous, unable to fathom why a young woman like her would stay with this evil creature, this Dark Lord of the Sith.

"I can't tell you that. There are some things about my relationship to Lord Vader only very, very few people know about. It's better for you - and for me - if you don't. Perhaps, one day I'll be able to talk about it, but not right now and not while this conflict lasts. However, let's get back to our other subject. Vader has left your disposal in my - as he called it - capable hands, which means it's really up to me what will happen to you. I've developed a little plan which will accommodate us all." Then she started to lay out her intentions before him.

At first, he was skeptical about it, one portion even made him object fervently. But after discussing the other options available to them, he finally agreed. Serina would drop him off on a planet where she knew of a small rebel outpost. From there he could make his way back toward _Yavin Four_. Serina's condition for his freedom was that he had to report to her his location on a regular basis and should she decide to call upon him, he would supply her with anything he knew about rebel activities. In order to protect the rebellion, however, he would have to make sure that he didn't know anything of importance.

"I realize, that might not be easy to accomplish," Serina tried to ease his conscience, "but - trust me in this - it will be only a few more years. The patterns in the Force are already emerging. The final confrontation will take place within the next three, four years at the most."

"Do the patterns also show you who will win?" Camon asked curiously.

"Not for certain. But it's my personal conviction, that it will not be the Empire."

"All right. I guess it's the best we can come up with. But what will Vader say about your decision?"

"He'll accept it," Serina assured him. "I'm sure he has sensed already that you were not just an average prisoner for me. As I said, he knows me quite well. Our little deal will not harm the Empire or Lord Vader and that's all that counts in this case."

A sound from the cockpit interrupted their conversation. "Ah, we've arrived at our destination. Do you want to sit up front with me?"

Eagerly, Marc followed her into the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's seat. The stars appeared again as long, bright streaks, then the streaks got shorter and soon a green-brown ball of a planet became visible in front of them.

" _Circarpous IV_. Have you ever been there before?" Serina asked as she started her landing approach.

"No, never. How come you know about a rebel outpost on this planet?"

"Oh," Serina acted quite secretive about it, "that's a long story. I don't think we'll have enough time for it now."

Procedures were still as lax as she remembered them from her first visit and soon they were on their way out of the central spaceport. When they reached a small cantina on the outskirts of the settlement, Serina gave Camon her final instructions.

"This is where you can always leave a message for me. No matter where I'm at, they will forward it to me." She handed him a small card with a holocom address on it. "When you get into the Cantina, ask for Bixter. If he's not there, wait for him. Tell him, a friend sent you. He will want to know a password. Just say to him: Galen's revenge. He'll take you to their outpost. What you tell them there is up to you. Just make up a good story. Before you'll know it, they'll get you off this planet, back to the Alliance."

"How come you know all that?"

"You shouldn't ask things like that," Serina rebuked him mildly. "It's better if you don't know. I have to leave now."

Camon gave her a last big hug. Then he looked deeply into her blue eyes. "Watch out for yourself. You're treading down a dangerous path. Just be careful."

"I'll watch out, don't worry about me. I can take quite good care of myself. And thanks." After a light kiss on his cheek, she turned and hurried back toward the spaceport without looking behind. For a long moment, Camon just stood there gazing at her retreating form. Would he ever see her again? Then he turned and stepped into the cantina.


	8. The Trap

**The Trap**

(5 Months ABY)

"Not much activity lately!"

Serina looked up at the slightly older woman standing behind her chair. Caaroq was gazing intently at the holoscreen across her friend's shoulder. "Yeah, all they seem to be doing is gathering at their headquarters on _Yavin Four_. The blockade appears to be pretty useless against that." Serina turned back to the screen and continued to scroll through the various reports most of them reflecting current rebel activities.

Caaroq nodded in agreement. "Have you heard anything from Lord Vader lately?"

Serina shook her head. "No, not since he left again for the shipyards a few weeks ago. But I got this weird feeling that he's up to something. He did mention a plan to catch this student of Obi-Wan Kenobi's that escaped him a month back on _Fondor_. I tried to find out more about it, but he wouldn't give me any details."

Once finished with the reports on rebel activities, she called up the status reports of various operatives working for her master. Quietly, they skimmed the reports of bounty hunters, undercover agents, and the likes. Most were just short notices of actions completed, not providing any details, just code-names. Suddenly, Serina stopped the scrolling and called the previous record back onto her screen. It had been sent by a surgical team reporting the success of some kind of operation and it came with a picture of the patient treated. "Now this is interesting, don't you think?"

After having read the report one more time, Caaroq looked at her with a quizzical expression on her face. "What's so interesting about an actor? I've heard of others who underwent an operation just to be able to get a specific role they wanted to play."

"But this is not just any role, don't you see?" Serina exclaimed. "He's made to look exactly like Obi-Wan Kenobi! I bet, Lord Vader ordered that operation. And now he's going to trick Kenobi's student to go somewhere to meet this actor. And he will be waiting there for him!" She did not mention to Caaroq, that she knew only too well who that student was. And Vader did, too. It had taken quite some time to torture the rebel pilot the bounty hunters had caught on _Centares_ into revealing it. But finally, the man had told them. When Vader had heard the name, he had gone on a rampage, at least according to one of the troopers that had accompanied him. He had killed all the bounty hunters in the process. Now he knew that the pilot's name was Luke Skywalker. But did he realize that Luke was his son? If he had, he had kept that realization to himself so far.

Caaroq had to agree with Serina's assessment. That sounded just like a plan Lord Vader might have forged. Most likely, it would also be successful.

"And," Serina added after a moment, "it would also explain why he had me stay back here on _Imperial Center._ No matter how untrained this would-be Jedi is, there would always be a chance that he could sense me through the Force."

* * *

The Star Destroyer had left the shipyards of _Fondor_ far behind and was accelerating steadily toward its jump point into hyperspace.

"Lord Vader, the course is set for _Aridus_ and we are ready to make the jump to hyperspace on your command," the captain of the _Devastator_ was pleased to announce to his black-garbed master.

"Very well, Captain. Maintain speed and course until I receive the transmission from _Aridus_. Inform me immediately when we make contact with my agent there."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

When the image of the captain had faded from the screen, Vader initiated the closing mechanism of his chamber. So far, everything was proceeding as planned. Soon, the actor would have his first contact with Skywalker. The would-be Jedi was still nearly untrained, his powers mere potential, not yet honed in the use of the Force. He would be easy to deceive at first, thanks to the training he had given the actor in addition to all the gadgets that would simulate the effects of someone using the Force. But it was doubtful, that the young man could be fooled for a longer period of time. Once the contact was established, he would have to act quickly to get him into his hands.

A signal from the communications console interrupted Vader's musings.

"Lord Vader, the transmission you've been expecting has just started," the captain's voice announced from the speaker while the lid of the meditation chamber started to rise in response to a wave of Vader's hand.

"Maintain speed, captain, and I don't want to be disturbed!"

"As you wish, Lord Vader."

* * *

Many parsecs away from the desolate plains of _Aridus_ , the _StarLady_ was getting ready for its jump to hyperspace. A chime from the navigation computer informed Serina, that her ship had reached the required entry coordinates and speed. Gently she pulled back the lever and watched the stars turn to streaks and finally merge to the blur of hyperspace.

Vader's call had not come completely unexpected, yet his orders had surprised even Serina. "Take the _StarLady_ and get to _Aridus_ as fast as possible!" he had told her. "The _Devastator_ will return to its regular tour of duty once I've gotten dropped off there. And," he had added with an undertone, that Serina could only interpret as strongly guarded excitement, "be prepared to aid me with a new apprentice of mine."

It hadn't taken long to get the _StarLady_ ready for take-off and now she was on her way to pick up her master and - if Vader's plan was successful - young Skywalker. Of course, the Dark Lord would be able to handle the untrained would-be Jedi all by himself, but recent events had made Vader cautious. A few times, Skywalker had already escaped his grasp when he had least expected it, when he had been certain there was no possible chance that he could lose him again. Using the _StarLady_ for the trip to _Imperial Center_ or, what was more likely, to _Vjun_ with the additional benefit of having her as a trained Force-user to help him watch over the young man, was certainly wiser than using the _Devastator_ , at least from Vader's point of view.

For Serina, it opened up a whole bag of problems and moral dilemmas. If Vader's plan succeeded, there would be no chance for her to help Luke escape. On the contrary, she would have to help to prevent him from doing so. Above that, Vader would expect her to do her best to support him with his efforts to lure his son to the dark side. And she would fulfill that expectation, there was no other option available. But, she called herself to order, no plan was foolproof. There was still a possibility, that Luke would escape the trap Vader had set up for him.

Even at top speed, it would take her more than twenty-three hours to get to the hardly known planet in the _Narvath_ sector, at least a half standard day after her master's arrival there. She would use her time in hyperspace to familiarize herself with the world's topography and especially the coordinates Vader had provided her with. And then, she would try to catch some much-needed sleep. It was doubtful, that she would get much if her master's scheme succeded.

The landscape that became visible on her display reminded her strongly of _Tatooine_ : deserts, craggly mountains, and even more deserts. _Worse than Tatooine_ , she concluded after several more pictures, _volcanos and lava pits_. _What a charming place!_ She quickly scrolled through the additional information: scouted in the early years of the Galactic Empire, various mining companies had tried to exploit the planet's valuable resources. To offset the ionizing effects of the atmosphere on their equipment, a powerful power transformer and signal amplifier had been built, called the Iron Tower. Its crippling effects on the native population, the Chubbits, had caused them to start a guerrilla war on the Empire, supposedly supported by the Rebel Alliance. She pulled up a picture of the imposing structure and compared its location with the coordinates, Vader had given her. They were a match, but that was far from surprising. Just like his castle on _Vjun_ , it certainly was the kind of building her master would find appealing and a perfect location for his scheme.

* * *

 _A tower stood stark and foreboding against the backdrop of a black sky illuminated by two bright orbs, obviously the moons of the desolate planet. Two figures on long-necked riding beasts crossed the rocky plain that encompassed the metal monument and dismounted at its foot._

 _A wave of dark premonitions washed over Serina as her perception sharpened and more details became visible. A movement on a level close to the top drew her attention. For an instant, a familiar black helmet became visible, then a commotion several levels below caused her to divert her gaze downward. A young man was fighting his way past various defensive measures as he advanced along the emergency stairs to reach the upper levels. Every so often, his blue blade became visible in the open viewports that marked the landings of the stairwell._

 _Again, Serina's perception shifted and she became aware of a room filled with machinery and large control displays on the walls. A familiar black-robed figure stood in the middle, awaiting the arrival of a turbolift. Moments later, an older man, dressed in the typical outfit once favored by the Jedi knights, stepped out of the cabin. Serina recognized him immediately: the actor, who had been made to look like Obi-Wan Kenobi._

 _A conversation commenced, but Serina could not hear what was spoken. She felt anger flare brightly within her master, perceived the impending outburst moments before he slammed the actor against the far wall, pelting him with various instruments torn loose by the power of the Force. As the Sith Lord turned away from the fatally injured man, a wave of dread washed over Serina as her vision centered again on the dying actor in the far corner of the control room. She watched him reach for a lever on a nearby terminal. He pulled it down with the last strength his failing body provided._

 _She wanted to call out to her master and warn him of the doom that action would unleash. But she was frozen in place, forced to watch, unable to prevent the inevitable. Then a brilliant blast engulfed the whole scene and flung her backward, out of the control room, away from the tower, past the forsaken deserts …_

… and back into her own body. She jerked awake and sat up in the pilot's seat, trenched in sweat, her heart beating worse than after the most vigorous lightsaber practice with her master. It took her several moments to compose herself, to calm her mind and body with the methods once taught her by Tantra, the old hermit on _Taanab_.

She quickly checked the readings on the navigational display. Her next orientation stop was still several hours away. She sank back into her chair and recapitulated the vision. A shiver ran down her spine and a feeling of dread grabbed her heart. Sometimes, her visions were vague and open to interpretation, but, more often than not, they were quite precise and left little room for changing the outcome. And there was no doubt in her mind that this one belonged to the latter group.

Oftentimes, she had no idea as to the "where" and "when" of the events she became privy to through the Force. But this time, she knew exactly where her vision had taken her: to the Iron Tower on _Aridus_ , the planet she was traveling toward at top speed, the site of Vader's trap for the unaware young Skywalker. But would she get a chance to warn her master? If he was already down on the planet when she dropped back to realspace, there would be no way of contacting him. A dread grabbed her heart as she recalculated the remaining time until her arrival. Would she get there in time, if not to warn her master, then at least to rescue him?

* * *

Passing the smoldering hills of a mining operation, an Imperial shuttle made its way toward an iron tower, menacing symbol for the oppression of the people of _Aridus._ Nearby, two men had come to the help of a small group of _Aridians_ , attacking a patrolspeeder.

"Should we take any action, Lord Vader?" the commander of the shuttle inquired of the dark looming figure behind him.

"No, commander, once you have dropped me off, return to the _Devastator_." Nobody noticed the unrest that had taken hold of the Sith Lord. Too long, he had been waiting to meet young Skywalker, to confront him, to draw him to the dark side. Soon, his waiting would be over. "And contact the outpost. They will not approach the tower until I tell them otherwise."

* * *

Waves of dark premonition washed over Serina as she dropped back to realspace as close to the gravity well of the arid planet as she dared and slightly above its ecliptic plane. Darkness graciously concealed the hideous landscape facing her as she steared her ship toward the terminator barely visible along the upper and rightside curvature. The location of the towering metal construction - if the explosion, her vision had shown her, hadn't already reduced it to a large pile of rubble - had rotated into daylight several hours prior to her arrival, adding precious minutes to her approach as she rounded the mid-sized planet just above the stratosphere.

Her sensors showed hardly any space traffic in the vicinity: just two freighters, one of them a good distance behind her getting ready to jump to hyperspace, and the other on its approach to Aridus Trade City visible far below her as a fuzzy spot of light in the prevailing darkness. There was some air traffic as well, but, from what she had studied in the records, the Imperial mining operation used mainly hover-trains and other ground-bound vehicles. And the natives were usually limited to much more primitive means of transportation, foremost their indigenous reptilian Droffi steeds, and some so-called wind-runners.

Her sense of foreboding grew stronger as she left the nightside behind and started her descent toward the planet surface. Suddenly, a flashing signal appeared on her sensor display. Seconds later, more information became available: a small vessel, just a central oblong body with two large wing-engines on either side. It apparently sported two laser cannons and comparatively weak shields. Certainly, no match for the _StarLady_.

But, although it would pass by her fairly close, there was no indication of an impending attack. Playing a sudden hunch, she reached out through the Force for the pilot of the quickly approaching vessel. She would have recognized the strong presence she encounted anywhere in the galaxy: Luke, the young would-be Jedi, Vader's own son. He had escaped unharmed! Relief flooded her, due rather to her anticipated moral conflicts vanishing into thin air with his successful getaway than because of his physical well-being. But it was quickly replaced by a heart-wrenching dread: what had the price of his escape been? How badly had her master been hurt if he hadn't been able to prevent that from happening?

As the other vessel passed her only a few clicks away and disappeared into the depth of open space, she pushed the acceleration lever forward another notch until the increasing air friction caused her shields to flare up into a bright ball of fire around her. So far, her link to her master had not been torn. He was still alive down there, somewhere. But the question was: how much longer?

* * *

What had once been a stark and foreboding symbol of the Empire's ruthless rule over the native population was now reduced to a huge pile of metal girders, ragged sheets of plastoid, broken pipes and torn cables, mixed with larger and smaller parts of destroyed machinery. The rubble had spread out across most of the open space around the foundation of the obliterated construction right up to the encircling lava pits, leaving no unlittered space large enough for the _StarLady_ to settle down.

Frustration welled up within Serina as she headed for the area beyond the pits in search for a suitable landing spot. She had to find her master. This detour was the last thing she needed. And she had noticed some movement among the ruins. Who was digging through the rubble? Where they aware that one of the most powerful men in the galaxy laid buried underneath the debris?

As she skimmed across the bubbling pools of lava, one of the few narrow passages leading away from the tower to the desert beyond the rings of open pits came into view. She followed its winding path and discovered a rocky outcropping at the edge of the desert, just large enough for her sleek vessel. It would be quite a hike back to the scene of devastation but looking for a better spot would only cost her additional time. And time was a commodity she was currently rather short in supply.

 _Not my best shot at parking_ , she thought wryly as she regarded the awkward position the _StarLady_ had settled down in on the unlevel ground. The rear end with the propulsion units was visibly higher than the rest of the ship and it also listed toward its right side. But it would have to do. With her remote, she had the exit ramp retract. Moments later, the hatch resealed, and a barely visible shimmer engulfed the whole vessel. If anybody tried to reopen it without the proper access codes they would be in for a nasty surprise.

She slipped the remote into one of the sidepockets of her satchel and swung it onto her shoulder. It contained some medical supplies, a water bottle, and several military grade food rations. After checking the proper attachment of her lightsaber and a small blaster to her belt, she climbed across the rocks that separated the outcropping from the narrow trail.

Had she not seen it from above, the winding, rock strewn path would have been close to impossible to discern from the ground. Cragly cliffs of solidified volcanite separated the various smaller and larger bubbling lava pits arrayed in rising circles around the location of the crumbled tower. Streams of slowly moving magma spilled from higher pools into lower ones. Poisonous smoke was continually rising from the boiling pits and merged into large plumes obstructing her view.

Picking her way carefully around larger bolders and across smaller rocks, she started out toward the center of the formation. The sun was now close to its zenith, adding its warmth to the radiating heat from the lava pits. Soon, rivulets of sweat were running down the young woman's face, seeping into her clothes, running down her spine and collecting at the small of her back. Several times, the path would fork at the foot of one of the pits, but, time and again, she relied on the Force to show her which way to turn. Finally, after an hourlong hike, she rounded the last pit and the large piles of rubble, that had once been an impressive and oppressive iron tower, became visible directly ahead of her.

But the site of destruction was far from deserted. Several droffi steeds were tethered together in a narrow rubble-free area at the mouth of the path. Large brown splotches marked their green skin from their long necks to the tips of their powerful tails. A short stocky creature - its skin a much lighter shade of green than that of the riding beasts - was sitting on a nearby rock, keeping a weary watch over the small herd. At first sight, it appeared rather primitive: a broad flat head with a blunt snout and small eyes placed far apart on each side of it, baggy coarse trousers and a cloak that blended in with the surrounding rocks.

But the blaster that became visible in its hands as it turned toward her quickly set that impression straight. The surprised expression on its face turned instantly into alarm as it jumped to its feet and leveled the blaster at her. A short, hissed call and, only a few moments later, more of the Chubbits, the native sentient species of this barren world, emerged from behind the piles of rubble.

Serina lifted her hands to indicate that she meant no harm and continued to slowly edge toward them. She could only hope that at least one of them understood basic. After all, she was not here to challenge them for anything to be found in the remains of the tower. Except, that was, of course, the body of her master. She could sense his presence nearby, but he was obviously still unconscious since he didn't react to her call through the Force. But she would not allow them to hinder her in finding him, either. And if she had to eliminate them all, she was prepared to do that as well.

"Schzzzrt frzsch!" the tallest of the natives called out to her.

She did not have to understand their language to get the meaning of the snarled command. Raising her hands even higher, she stopped dead in her tracks. "I mean you no harm," she called out to them softly, gauging their reaction to her words. "But I need to find something in that rubble."

"Frrr schrzzzt?"

Obviously, they couldn't understand her. But the Force was not limited to verbal communication. Allowing the anger over the situation to rise in her and combining it with the desperate urgency she felt for finding and rescuing her master, she opened herself for the living energy around her, preparing to project a powerful suggestion into the minds of the primitive natives in front of her.

"What's going on? Who are you?" A sharp command disrupted her concentration. Her anger surged instantly, but she ruled it in promptly at the sight of the figure emerging from behind the remains of the central structure. The man was in his mid-thirties, his well-trained, muscular upper body only marginally covered by a black vest. Wavy, long dark-blond hair bound at his neck into a ponytail and two heavy blasters girded to his hips, he strode toward them, slipping around the larger pieces of debris with the fluid movements of a trained fighter. At his appearance, the Chubbits that had stopped her relaxed visibly. It was obvious that he had their respect and was apparently even some sort of leader for them.

 _Good_ , Serina thought as she watched his approach, _somebody that speaks Basic. I hope he's open for some cooperation. If not… Wait a moment, do I know that guy?_ She raked her brain for several long seconds. This was not the first time that she had met this man. But where had she seen him before? At _Prefsbelt_? He looked military enough to have been an instructor at the academy. But, no, that's wasn't it. It hadn't been that long ago. Where then? She tried to picture him with a typical naval haircut and a clean uniform.

Suddenly, a scene leaped at her from the depths of her mind: a large exercise room aboard the _Exactor_ , several groups of recruits fresh from the academy training under the strict command of a strikingly handsome combat instructor. Yes, that had to be it. That had to have been the same man! But would he remember her as well? As head of Vader's team of aides, she had accompanied her master on many of his inspection tours aboard his flagship, sometimes in uniform, more often, however, wearing her black outfit and hooded cloak. And she had stayed in the imposing Sith Lord's shadow, hardly noticed by those who had found themselves under her master's unwelcomed scrutiny. Therefore, she doubted it seriously that he would remember her face.

Now, if she could just come up with a name to go with the face! But no, the rank would just have to do. She slowly lowered her hands and faced the man, who had planted himself just a few feet away from her, arms crossed in a challenging gesture, scrutinizing her with blazing blue eyes. "Well, well. What a coincidence, meeting you here, Gunnery Sergeant! What brought you to this out of the way place? Imperial mining operations? And you seem to have made friends with the natives as well?"

No, Imperial mining hadn't brought him here, that was certain. She had felt his anger flare when she had suggested it. And yes, he had befriended the natives, that much was sure, had earned their respect possibly in the same way Vader's agent, the actor who had been made to look like Ben Kenobi, had achieved it as well. He was much likely supporting them in fighting off the Imperial occupational forces. She had also felt him tense at the mention of his military rank. His appearance was proof enough that he no longer held that position. What had happened? There had been a moment of regret and anger, mingled with much resentfulness. She would have to discover the reason for those feelings and that quickly. An inner voice was telling her that it would be crucial for her mission to be successful.

"That rank doesn't mean anything to me any longer," he barked at her. "I'll ask you only one more time: who are you? And why are you here?" He allowed his hands to drop to his sides and to come to rest on his holstered blasters. The threat was obvious and, following his lead even without understanding the words of their exchange, the stocky natives tensed as well.

"My name is Serina," she explained, trying to defuse the situation. "And there is something or, to be exact, someone buried in that rubble. And I am here to rescue him." There was no sense in beating around the bush. She carefully watched his expression as he pondered her words.

"Whom are you talking about?" He put some effort into feigning ignorance, but although he was probably good at a lot of things: lying was certainly not among them.

"You know exactly whom I am talking about!" Serina told him, keeping her voice even but with a slight ironic edge to it. "And I think you know exactly where we have to dig for him. If I'm not mistaken, you were just busy doing that, weren't you?" She couldn't prevent a certain sharpness to creep in as anxiety welled up within her. She didn't have time for this conversation. Vader didn't have time for it. She had to get to him, had to find out how badly he was hurt. With an effort of will, she forced her hands that had clenched into fists to relax again. "Instead of standing here and wasting precious moments, we should be digging him out of that rubble. As long as he is still alive!"

She barked the last words at him as the despair still rooted in her from her most recent vision flared up into bright anger. Unconsciously, her hands came to rest on her weapons. She would get to her master, one way or another. And if she had to go straight through this former Imperial officer, so be it.

For a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, the man just stared at her, scrutinizing her from top to bottom, obviously gauging her words and her physical appearance in search for some hint at the level of danger she might pose to him. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto the unique weapon attached to her belt. When recognition hit home, his assessment of her changed drastically. Had his whole presence in the Force portrayed a certain amount of dismissiveness toward her, considering her more of a nuisance than a threat to him and his Chubbit followers, it now shifted to the type of alertness sensed before an imminent military engagement. His hands tightened around the grips of his blasters, but he hadn't drawn them yet.

Again, he sized her up. Then he let his gaze wander over his small group of followers, obviously calculating his chances against a lightsaber-wielding Force-user who was apparently in league with the buried Sith Lord. Seconds later, he ostensibly slowly removed his hands from his weapons and barked a short command to the green-skinned natives. "Tschkrrr!"

The stocky Chubbits cast questioning glances at their leader, but when he nodded to them in confirmation of his previous order they lowered their blasters as well. Moments later, they had disappeared again behind the large piles of rubble, leaving the two humans standing alone at the mouth of the path.

Serina allowed herself a silent sigh of relief, but she was not about to show the man across from her how glad she was that he hadn't chosen a violent solution to their situation. When he gestured her to lead the way toward the far side of the ruins, she accepted graciously and walked past him without hesitation. After all, if he knew anything about Force-users at all, he certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to try to shoot her in the back.

* * *

Combining their forces - the physical strength of the Chubbits, born of their harsh environment, the keen sense of the former gunnery sergeant as to which pieces of the wreckage could safely be moved, and Serina's ability to sense exactly where her master was buried as well as her use of the Force to move aside whatever debris resisted the efforts of the stocky natives - it didn't take them more than another half an hour to free the still unconscious Sith Lord. His robes were in shreds and his body suit sported several cuts and tears. Together they carried him to the narrow, unobstructed space where the droffi steeds were tethered together.

"He is still alive, isn't he?"

Serina nodded in confirmation. "But I have no idea why he is still unconscious." She kneeled beside the unmoving figure and started to check the various controls on the main chest control box as well as on the additional units attached to his belt. Several of the indicators had switched from their usual green to red, indicating some sort of malfunction. The thick material of the suit didn't allow her to check for broken bones, but, in any case, there was no chance to treat any injuries of that kind until they returned to _Imperial Center_. The same was true for any internal bleeding. But if she could somehow manage to wake him up, he would be able to put himself into a healing trance until their arrival there if there was any physical damage of that sort.

With swift, practiced movements, she reset those components that had indicated a malfunction, hoping that restarting those particular systems would solve most of the problems. One of them was the repiratory unit. Apparently, the precentage of oxygen inside the helmet had dropped to a critical level. A likely explanation for his continued unconsciousness as far as she was concerned and certainly the reason for his labored breathing. "That's all I can do for now," she informed the former Imperial officer. "Now I need to get him to my ship." She gazed up at the man leaning against one of the larger pieces of debris, watching her with weary curiosity. Obviously, he still wasn't sure what sense to make of the young woman.

At least, she finally had a name to go with the face: Wrenga Jixton, or just Jix, which he preferred…

 _"_ _So, your name is Serina?" he asked her as they climbed across the piles of rubble to where Vader lay buried._

 _"_ _Yep," she replied, "and you are?"_

 _"_ _I'm Jix, but I thought you knew that already. Why'd you call me gunnery sergeant?"_

 _"_ _I remembered seeing you aboard the_ Exactor _quite a few years back. You were a combat trainer for new recruits from the academy, weren't you? But I don't think I ever heard your name or I would have remembered it."_

 _"_ You _were aboard the_ Exactor _?" His voice reflected his incredulity. "I don't remember ever meeting you there. And I have a pretty good memory for faces. What were you doing there?"_

 _They had just stopped at the large pile of debris at the far side of the tower ruins and Serina turned to face the slightly older man. "That's hardly surprising that you never noticed me. I was and still am head of Lord Vader's staff of aides. My official rank is captain, but I seldom use it. And it is part of my task to stay inconspicuous most of the time. But that's not really difficult as long as Lord Vader is around. After all, when he shows up anywhere on the ship, he draws all the attention. Nobody will notice an unobtrusive young woman standing in his shadow, don't you think?" She turned back to the wreckage from the exploded structure. "Why don't you tell me what brought you to this forsaken place? With your abilities, you should be some high-ranking officer by now, not a leader of a group of primitive natives. What happened?"_

… and, while they had started to dig through the pile of torn sheets of metal and pieces of machinery, he had given her a brief recap of the end of his military career in the aftermath of the sterilization of _Falleen_ , his court-martial and short stint in the spice mines of _Kessel_ , his escape from there that had been nothing short of miraculous and how he had been stranded on _Aridus_ in the course thereof. The Chubbits had rescued him out of his destroyed vessel and had become his friends.

He was willing to do anything to keep the Empire off their backs. That's why he had come looking for the Sith Lord who had once been the cause of his court-martial, why he had started to search for him among the debris and why he had been willing to help her complete that task. If Vader was in his debt for saving his life, perhaps he would be willing to strike a deal with him, a deal, that would cause the Imperials to leave _Aridus_ and the local Chubbits alone.

Serina had not commented on the likelihood of Vader striking any kind of deal with the former gunnery sergeant, but she had decided to do her part to support him in his endeavor. Nobody should suffer the kind of crippling oppression the stocky natives had been under for nearly two decades already.

Jix nodded and called to one of the green-skinned natives who had returned to their digging in the rubble. "Chrkzzz kzrk shrzrrr tzk tzk." Moments later, one of them approached the small herd of droffi steeds and selected two of them. He picked up their reins and led them toward the two waiting humans. "Where is your ship?" Jix inquired.

Serina pointed to the other side of the rings of lava pits. "Back over there at the end of that path. It took me about an hour to get here. But I won't be able to land. This space is just not big enough."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Just hover as close as possible and lower the ramp. We'll get him inside," the former officer assured her. Then he gestured to the waiting riding beasts. "He will take you to your ship. It'll be much faster than on foot." He turned to the Chubbit. "Chrkzzz tshk zsh shp."

After Jix had shown him the spot Serina had pointed out only moments earlier, the stocky native swung himself on the reptilian mount. Serina quickly followed suit. What had been arduous on foot, turned into a jolting ride on the four-legged beasts. Weaving in between the boulders too high to jump over, they covered the distance to her vessel in barely fifteen minutes. She dismounted and handed the reins over to her guide, who turned the animals around and returned the same way they had just come.

Her ship was quickly readied and, just a few minutes later, she had steered the _StarLady_ past the rings of bubbling lava. She kept it hovering several feet above the surface at the mouth of the path, extending the boarding ramp downward until it barely touched the ground. Jix was already waiting for her. He had grabbed Vader's heavy body under the armpits, while two of the Chubbits had grabbed the legs. Together, they dragged the battered, still unconscious Sith Lord up the steep incline into the ship and placed him in the middle of the common room.

After the two natives had returned to the ground below, Jix joined the young woman in the cockpit. Once the hatch had resealed, the sleek vessel lifted past the ruins of what had once been a stark symbol of the Imperial rule over Aridus and headed toward open space. Far below them, a cloud of dust heralded the approach of an Imperial patrol speeder from the direction of the nearest outpost. Serina had no idea why it had taken them such a long time to seek out the reason for the lacking signal amplification, but one thing she knew for sure: if Vader bothered to check into it, they would be sorry indeed.


	9. Swamp Land (incomplete)

**Swamp Land**

(1 ABY)

She was angry, really angry. And, for once, it was not a feeling she had gathered through the Force from her master or anybody else.

But the situation certainly justified her aggravation! Half a year had passed since the events on _Aridus_ …

* * *

to be continued...


	10. Groundwork

**Groundwork**

(3 ABY)

The fleet of Star Destroyers had broken up, jumping to hyperspace toward several of the destinations computed from the Millennium Falcon's last known trajectory. Finally, the space around the freighter was empty except for the garbage the huge ships had left behind.

As the Falcon ignited its ion engines to head for the _Bespin_ system, Boba Fett, the most notorious and dreaded bounty hunter in the galaxy, turned his small ship to begin his pursuit. He didn't know yet where they were heading - so far, they had not jumped to hyperspace yet and the bounty hunter was getting the impression that their main hyperdrive might be malfunctioning - but Fett was not about to lose the price on its pilot's head. He would inform Lord Vader as soon as he could be absolutely certain of their destination.

* * *

The only sounds to be heard on the bridge of the mammoth Imperial Star Destroyer came from the ship's control boards and the dark towering figure facing the huge bridge window. The ship had reverted to realspace outside one of the systems the computations had listed as a possible destination for the Millennium Falcon. One of the smaller ships accompanying it had been sent out to investigate, but so far, no sign of the freighter had been found.

They had been conducting their search operation now for close to a month already and Vader knew it was like trying to find a certain Hawkbat in the depth of _Imperial City_ , but he was still counting on one of the bounty hunters he had sent out to pick up the smuggler's trail. He turned away from the endless array of stars to face Admiral Piett and one of his captains, who had approached him from behind.

"Lord Vader," Piett started with a slight tremble in his voice, "we have searched the whole system. There is no sign of the Millennium Falcon to be found. The sensor readings from the small outpost on the second planet indicate that there hasn't been any traffic at all for the past three weeks. Should we proceed to the next location?"

Before the Dark Lord could reply, a young communications officer rushed up to the small group. "Lord Vader, we have just received a transmission from one of the bounty hunters. According to Boba Fett, the Millennium Falcon is heading toward the _Bespin_ system. They have been traveling in small jumps, using only a backup hyperdrive, and should be there about three days from now according to his calculation."

"Admiral. Set a course immediately for the _Bespin_ system. Calculate the time of our arrival, then locate the _StarLady_ for me and establish a subspace connection to its captain. I will be in my private chamber."

When he turned to leave the bridge, a noticeable wave of relief went through the crew members. The sound level picked up as everybody prepared to follow the orders of their powerful leader.

Wilth, the young communications officer who had informed the Sith Lord of Fett's transmission, was ordered to establish a subspace link to the captain of the _StarLady_. He was much surprised when a young woman, perhaps in her early thirties, answered his call.

"This is the _Executor_. Lord Vader orders your captain to contact him immediately."

"Well, then put me through to him, but quickly. You don't want to keep Lord Vader waiting, now do you?"

The flippant answer stunned the young officer for a moment, then he contacted the Dark Lord in his private chamber. "Lord Vader, we have established contact to the _StarLady_. The ship is currently in the _Kaal_ system. The captain is standing by for your transmission."

After switching the connection through to the Dark Lord's chamber, Wilth turned to his fellow officer with a questioning look on his face. "Wow, what kind of woman was that? She didn't seem in the least bit afraid of Lord Vader. Has she ever met him in person?"

The other officer leaned over to look at whom he might be talking about. "Oh, the _StarLady_. That's Lady Serina's ship. You are still new here, no wonder that you don't know her. I can assure you she knows Lord Vader quite well, better than anybody else on board." He lowered his voice to a barely understandable whisper. "Some even say, she is his mistress, but nobody knows for sure. Officially, she is head of his team of aides."

Wilth looked at him incredulously. "But she is so young and..." he hesitated shortly, "quite beautiful." He couldn't imagine how somebody like that could be drawn to the menacing Sith Lord. True, nobody knew what was behind the mask and body armor, but he had heard quite some strange rumors about it.

"You will get a chance to meet her shortly, I'm sure. She is quite frequently on board, but, if I recall correctly, she left for some mission about a week before you were transferred to this station. Wait with your judgment until you've seen her in person. You might be quite surprised." The young man turned back to his own terminal and left Wilth wondering about what other surprises this strange woman might have in store.

* * *

Serina was still smiling about the stunned look on the young officer's face when the Sith Lord became visible on the small screen of her comm unit.

"Master," she addressed him with a slight tilt of her head.

"How long will it take you to reach the _Bespin_ system," he asked her without preamble.

After a short calculation, Serina replied, "About 12 standard hours including landing procedures, Master."

"Good. You will be heading there immediately. The Millennium Falcon is on its way there, but it will take about three more days since its hyperdrive is malfunctioning. Once on _Bespin_ , you are to establish contact with the bounty hunter Boba Fett as soon as he arrives. I also expect some information on the administrator of Cloud City, a certain Lando Calrissian." Vader hesitated as he saw the expression of Serina's face change. "You know him?"

Serina nodded. "Yes, I met him once." With a calculating smile, she continued, "So, he is the administrator there now. I guess he did win that Sabacc match after all. I don't know him that well, but I know a bit about him. He is a gambler and a con artist. I am sure he doesn't care for any interference from the Empire in his operations. You should be careful in your dealings with him. He can't be trusted."

"That's why you are going there. I plan on using Han Solo as a trap to attract young Skywalker. If he senses his friends in danger he will come. Find out how Calrissian will react to my plans, if he will go along with them or if he will have to be eliminated before we start. Everything should look normal when the Falcon arrives. The fleet will arrive in two and a half days but will stay hidden just outside of the system. That should give you enough time for your evaluation of Calrissian. Now I don't want to get the Falcon or Skywalker suspicious. This trap has to work!"

"Yes, Master. I will get started immediately."

The image faded away and the comscreen was dark again. Calrissian! If she remembered correctly, he and Solo went back quite a way. Hadn't the Millennium Falcon once belonged to Calrissian?

As she programmed the new destination into her navigational console, her thoughts turned to the plan Vader had revealed to her. He was going to trick young Luke into facing him. She was convinced it would work. Though she would never tell her Dark Lord, she was convinced that Luke was currently on _Dagobah_ , being trained by the old Jedi Master Yoda. It was the only explanation why she hadn't found any sign of him during the past weeks since the evacuation of _Hoth_. She could only hope that Luke had learned enough to stand up to the powerful Sith Lord. He probably didn't even know yet that the person he hated so much was his own father. Would Vader tell him? Serina didn't know, but she was sure her dark master would use everything imaginable to draw the young Jedi to the dark side.

Her ship picked up speed and quickly the stars turned to streaks of light as the _StarLady_ jumped into hyperspace. She could only hope that Luke would be strong enough to withstand the temptation he would soon have to face. She did not want to think about what would happen if he didn't.

* * *

Cloud City was quite a sight to behold. It was shortly before noon at the glamorous metropolis when Serina landed her sleek ship, now registered again as _Nighthawk_ , on the landing pad she had been assigned to. Once again, she had assumed the role of a representative of a large company on _Taanab_ out on a search for new suppliers. She remembered quite well the role Lando Calrissian had played shortly after the destruction of the Death Star in freeing _Taanab_ of the recurring raids by the Norulac pirates. Of course, she had been on various missions for the Empire during that time, and she had heard of it only through reports on the holonet since she hadn't been back on _Taanab_ since leaving her homeplanet more than sixteen years prior. But she knew enough about the events to dare ask for an appointment with the Baron Administrator. Hearing that she was from _Taanab_ , Lando had gladly agreed, and now she was looking forward to meeting him.

Serina stepped down the ramp and headed for the large gates leading into the administrative building. A small group was already waiting for her. She recognized Calrissian immediately. He hadn't changed much since the Sabacc match she had watched a couple of years back. He was accompanied by a bald cyborg and a few guards.

"You must be Lando Calrissian," Serina addressed him, "I still remember seeing your picture on the holonet after the battle with those pirates. You haven't changed at all. I am so glad to make your acquaintance."

The expression on Lando's face showed how pleased he was. Turning on his whole natural charm, he shook her hand and then offered her his arm. "Well, thank you. And you must be Marisa Wanders. I am very pleased to meet you as well. May I show you around my facility before we talk about business?"

"I would appreciate that very much," she replied and took his proffered arm. Together, they walked through the gate. "Should I check in with the hotel before we do so?"

Lando assured her that his aide would take care of that for her and directed her to one of the turbolifts leading to the building's upper levels.

The days on _Bespin_ were very short since it took the gaseous planet only twelve hours to rotate once. When evening was turning the clouds into sheets of orange, the administrator invited Serina to an extensive dinner in one of his private dining chambers. Serina gladly accepted. This was even easier than she had expected. Perhaps she could send her report to Lord Vader already ahead of schedule.

* * *

Hours later, Serina was escorted by Calrissian to her rooms in the Yerith Bespin, Cloud City's finest hotel. The dinner had been very enjoyable, giving her a good chance to get to know Lando. Using the Force to make him feel extremely comfortable in her company, she had gotten him to talk about his plans for Cloud City and his standing in regard to the rebellion. Touching on the subject of Imperial interference, she had been able to confirm her impression that Calrissian had no love for the Empire. He would be willing to go to great length to ensure Cloud City's independence but, should Vader attempt to take over his operations, he would just as quickly turn and take up the fight, if not for the rebellion, then at least for his own freedom.

No matter how Vader was going to deal with him, Lando Calrissian was not to be underestimated. His connections in the city were quite powerful and he could cause trouble for Vader's plan if he was not dealt with properly.

"Will you join me for lunch tomorrow?" Lando asked her as she stepped into the suite that had been reserved for her.

"Gladly," Serina smiled at him, "but tomorrow we will have to talk about establishing a business relationship. My employer will expect a report shortly and I don't want to disappoint him."

Raising her hand to his lips, Lando assured her, "I am sure we can work out a good deal between our companies. Your employer will be pleased to hear about all we can offer him. Should I pick you up around noon at, let's say, 600 local time?"

"Yes, I look forward to it. Have a good night." When the door closed behind her, Serina let out a sigh of relief glad to be able to give up the mask of interest she had employed throughout the long evening with Calrissian. Now a nice hot bath and some hours of solid sleep. It would still be early enough to send her report the next evening since Vader would take at least another thirty hours to get to _Bespin_. She would have to keep up her farce until that time.

* * *

The nights on _Bespin_ were short and soon Lando was standing at her door waiting to pick her up for lunch. He had determined to do less talking and more listening this time, since he had realized, after bringing this strange woman to her hotel room, that he had found out hardly anything about her while he had told her nearly his whole life story. He enjoyed spending time with her but at the same time, a weird feeling had taken hold of him. Something about that lady didn't feel quite right but he just couldn't figure out what it might be.

"Did you sleep well?" he greeted her when she opened the door. His admiring gaze swept over her. She had chosen a red combination, blouse and pants emphasizing her lithe figure. A sheer glittering cape completed the outfit. Small golden strands were woven into her short-cropped hair giving her a dashing appearance.

"Yes, quite well, just not long enough," she replied with a sheepish smile as she took his proffered arm. "So, what are you going to show me today?"

"I was thinking about taking you out for a trip to some of the attractions of _Bespin_ in my skimmer if it would please you. I can also show you some of the refineries and perhaps if we have time enough, the abandoned city of Tibannopolis. We can talk about business on the trip."

"Oh, I would really enjoy that. I have always been interested in history and I heard that Tibannopolis must be quite remarkable. Will we be back before nightfall? My employer expects my report by tonight and I prefer not to keep him waiting."

"That should not be a problem at all. Will you need to use our subspace transmitter?"

"No, thank you, the one on my ship is strong enough. I will contact him from there."

"All right, now let's have a small lunch before we get started."

He led her to one of the small luncheon areas in Kerros Tower providing a gorgeous view of all of Cloud City. It was one of the quieter seasons, no storms had been announced by the weather-watching systems and the day promised to turn out quite pleasant. Serina allowed herself to relax. It was a pity that Vader's plan involved this place. She would have enjoyed visiting it again some other time, but it would hardly be worth it after the upcoming events. Once the Empire got a hold on a place like this one, it was not about to let go again.

* * *

It was already long past midnight when Serina returned to her suite in the Yerith Bespin. She had managed to send her report to Vader, covering the transmission by sending a second, easily interceptable report in the direction of _Taanab_. She had again used the special code agreed upon with her Dark Lord. It was a combination of rebel and smuggler codes, avoiding any connection with the Empire. Only Vader would be able to access the information contained therein.

Should Calrissian, perchance, intercept this transmission as well, he would only arrive at the conclusion that she might be involved with the rebellion or some smugglers, but he would not be able to figure out the content of the message. _That might be just the best thing anyways_ , Serina thought. She had noticed the suspicious looks Lando had given her throughout the day. A connection with the rebellion would give his suspicion a basis, but of course the wrong one.

Now, the next step was to get access to the main computer system. If Boba Fett had arrived already, she would have to find him and inform him of Vader's plans. For Serina, bounty hunters were the most repulsive creatures in the galaxy. Vader did not care for them much either, Serina knew, but to follow the Emperor's orders and get a hold of young Skywalker, he had been willing to use even the most loathsome of them all. And the result had proved his tactic right so far. _At least, it's Fett and not one of the others!_ Serina still remembered the notorious bounty hunter from the events on _Dantooine_ four years prior. He had been useful then and, there was no doubt in her mind, he would be again this time also. _I just wonder what his payment will be this time around?_

Slipping into her more habitual black outfit and wrapping herself into her black hooded robe, Serina moved out of the luxurious room toward the administrative building in the center of the city. Nobody noticed her approach to one of the smaller terminal rooms near the main offices. It was nighttime, and the building appeared quite deserted. Although the short days caused most citizens used to much longer days to work through one night and sleep the next, the official business was conducted during the daytime hours. Serina had watched Lando closely during the previous two days and so it was fairly easy for her to hack into the system. Since Boba Fett had not arrived yet, she set up a special program to inform her in her suite as soon as he did. After eliminating all evidence of her tampering, she turned the terminal back off and returned to her hotel room. All that was left to do now was to wait. And this was a virtue she had perfected during her years at Vader's side.


End file.
